Welcome back to Trivia Waves, where we broadcast the most captivating facts to spark your curiosity! Today, we’re tuning into the art world with a heist that shocked the globe: did you know the Mona Lisa was once stolen and hidden in a trunk? Tune in as we uncover this daring art theft.

On August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa—Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece—vanished from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The thief, an Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia, had worked at the museum and knew its security flaws. He hid inside overnight, took the painting off the wall, and walked out with it under his coat. For two years, the world searched for the iconic artwork while Peruggia kept it stashed in a wooden trunk in his Paris apartment, just a few miles from the Louvre. He was caught in 1913 when he tried to sell it to an art dealer in Florence, believing the painting belonged in Italy.

The theft turned the Mona Lisa into a global sensation, making it the most famous painting in the world. When it was returned to the Louvre, crowds flocked to see it, cementing its place in history. This wild story of art and crime is one of our favorites here at Trivia Waves, and we can’t wait to share more.

What’s the most shocking art story you’ve heard? Drop us a line at contact@triviaradio.com—we’d love to hear from you! If you enjoyed this trivia, share it with your fellow fact fans and stay tuned for more waves of knowledge that’ll amaze you.