5. An estate is exempt from Inheritance Tax if the deceased left everything to their husband, wife or civil partner, who lives permanently in the UK. Married couples and civil partners can give any value of gifts to each other during their lifetime without Inheritance Tax being due on them.
While most people are aware the Mona Lisa is also called La Gioconda by the Italians (translation: a light-hearted woman.), fewer know the French refer to it as La Joconde. Done in oils on poplar wood it was originally much larger than it is today.
Story highlights. 1  The Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world. 2  Theft over 100 years ago helped catapult artwork to international stardom. 3  Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece now attracts millions of visitors to Louvre.