In 1525, Bernardino Luini, of the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art, was commissioned by the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Saronno, Italy, to paint a fresco of the Madonna. Bernardino, an extremely passionate and talented painter, first turned his efforts toward finding the perfect model ? patient, poised and, most of all, beautiful. And, after weeks of tireless searching, he finally found her, a young innkeeper whose name has been lost through the ages. For the next few months they worked in intimate settings, never more than a few feet apart. The young girl fell deeply, and passionately, in love. And, as a gift of her love, she created a sweet, almond-flavored liqueur for Bernardino. It was the first bottle of Disaronno.