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Major Rome exhibition opens celebrating Leonardo Da Vinci

A major exhibition dedicated to the scientific genius of Leonardo Da Vinci opened in Rome on Wednesday, part of a programme of special events across the country to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of the artist and inventor.

Published: 13 March 2019 09:25 CET

Major Rome exhibition opens celebrating Leonardo Da Vinci

The 'Science before science' exhibition in Rome. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP

The show at the Scuderie del Quirinale palace, entitled “La scienza prima della scienza” ('science before science'), traces the technological and scientific work of da Vinci and reflects on how “the myth of Leonardo” was developed.

More than 200 pieces will be on display including some of his most famous works, which are credited with developing the parachute, helicopter and tank, the museum said ahead of the launch.

The exhibition runs until June 30th and tickets are €15.00. Admission is free for under-18s.

A visitor looks at the exhibits in Rome.. Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP

Da Vinci was a “European citizen of the world,” said exhibition curator Claudio Giorgione.

The polymath was a driving force behind the Renaissance and worked in numerous fields, including painting, sculpture, architecture, science, mathematics and astronomy.

His most recognisable artworks include the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

The exhibition devotes an entire room to Da Vinci's “military genius” with several reproductions of his designs, including his famous “giant crossbow”.

Da Vinci was born in the Medici-ruled Republic of Florence in 1452. He died in France in 1519 and is the most famous left-handed painter in history.

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Did you know: Rome wasn't Italy's first capital city?

Rome is often one of the first cities to crop up when thinking of European capitals, and it’s easy to see why: its multiple treasures, including the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona, make it one of the most instantly recognisable cities in Europe, if not in the world.

But Rome hasn’t always been Italy’s capital.

In fact, there have been two Italian capitals other than the Eternal City since Italy’s Unification in 1861: Turin and Florence.

Currently the capital of Italy’s northwestern Piedmont region, Turin’s tenure as the country’s capital was fairly short-lived.

The northern city first became capital of the Kingdom of Savoy in 1559, it then became the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1713 and eventually it became capital of the Kingdom of Italy on March 17th 1861, the day that marked the country’s unification.

Turin, Italy

A view of the Mole Antonelliana, one of Turin’s most recognisable landmarks. Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP

By 1865 however, Turin had already lost its capital status to Florence.

The transition wasn’t exactly smooth though as the local population took to the streets to rebel against the decision on September 21st 1864. What followed is now known as the Turin massacre, in which around 60 civilians were killed.

Florence’s capital status was not long-lived either as in February 1871 – just six years after the transfer to the Tuscan city – Rome formally became the new capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

That’s not all however: a small town in southwestern Sicily claims to have been the first Italian capital as it was supposedly proclaimed so by Giuseppe Garibaldi – an Italian general that was among the leading contributors to Italy’s unification and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy – on May 14th 1860. The Sicilian town claims to have held the title for a day.

That said, according to history books, there have only been three capital cities in Italy: Turin, Florence and Rome.

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