Leonardo did not live in Turin: he worked in Florence, Milan and Rome; then, persuaded by King Francis I, he moved to Amboise in the Loire Valley, where he would remain until his death. Yet the Royal Library of Turin has the privilege of conserving the famous Self-Portrait and the Codex on the Flight of Birds, donated in 1893 by a wealthy merchant to King Umberto I.
From 7 April to 9 July 2023 whoever is in Turin will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition Il genio e il tempo di lui. Face-to-face with Leonardo. The fascinating itinerary of Leonardo's life, set up in the halls of the Royal Library, will review the events, characters and places that marked the crucial moments in the history of the Italian and European Renaissance and that marked the personal life of the artist. The events will be recalled through illuminated manuscripts and ancient incunabula, ancient geographical maps and drawings by artists such as Perugino and Michelangelo. It is a unique opportunity to admire extremely precious works, which are rarely exhibited due to their fragility.
From 7 to 16 April access will be allowed exclusively with a guided tour to groups of up to 25 visitors each. Starting on 18 April, the itinerary will be enriched with true copies of the works of the master. From that date until the end you can access the exhibition with a free visit. For more information and reservations, write to info.torino@coopculture.it
If you can't come to Turin this year, we have some good news: this extraordinary exhibition will be re-proposed every year during Easter week!
If you are really passionate about Leonardo's genius, you must know that, inside the Turin Cathedral, on the inner wall of the facade, there is a huge painting that represents a faithful copy of the Milanese Last Supper. The immense work, consisting of five tables weighing more than eight hundred kilos, was commissioned by Carlo Felice in 1835 to the Vercelli painter Luigi Gagna, specialized in the creation of "large copyright forgeries". Gagna's work is a perfect copy of the original except for the fact that it is not cut at the feet of Christ and, for this reason, it was taken as a model for the restoration work on the Leonardo original. Gagna's Last Supper was originally supposed to be exhibited in the rooms of Palazzo Reale, but the experts advised against it to prevent the walls of the building from collapsing under the weight of the imposing size of the painting which, since then, has found a home in the Turin Cathedral.
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Turin
The welcoming friendly atmosphere of our school will make you feel at home and you can relax with your classmates in the small gardens of the adjacent pedestrian area.
