The painting traveled with Leonardo. In 1516 or 1517, the aging Leonardo accepted an invitation from King Francis I of France to come to the French court — an invitation that represented both artistic patronage and practical honor for the painter, who had spent years moving between Italian cities and ducal courts. Leonardo traveled to France and spent his final years at the Château du Clos Lucé, near Amboise, in the Loire Valley. He died at Clos Lucé on May 2, 1519.
The circumstances under which the Mona Lisa came into French royal possession from Leonardo or his estate are not fully documented, but the painting became part of the French royal collection after his death. Francis I, by all historical accounts, admired Leonardo greatly and collected his work. The painting passed through several French royal residences over the following centuries, including Fontainebleau and Versailles.
After the French Revolution and the declaration that the royal collections belonged to the people of France, the painting’s status changed. It became public property by virtue of its place in the former royal collection. For a brief period it was displayed in Napoleon’s apartments at the Tuileries — which is what Peruggia would later describe as “Napoleon taking it from Italy,” conflating centuries of distinct ownership history into a single villainous act. Napoleon had not taken the painting from Italy. It had been in France for approximately two and a half centuries before Napoleon was born.
Around 1800, the Mona Lisa was moved to the Louvre, the former royal palace that the Revolution had converted into a public art museum. It had been there, in various locations within the building, ever since.