French and Italian leaders kick off commemoration to mark 500th anniversary of Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci's death
French President Macron and Italian counterpart Mattarella bond over Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci after months of tensions between Paris and Rome over Italy's populist government and its support for French"yellow vest" protesters.
The two heads of state began their visit at the royal chateau in Amboise, where they laid wreaths at Leonardo's grave. Amboise, a sleepy town on the Loire River, where Leonardo died in 1519, was in virtual lockdown because of fears of protests by France's grassroots "yellow vest" movement. The online La Tribune de l'Art said workers removed 18th-century woodwork and a fireplace and made major alterations to floors and ceilings in the privately owned mansion.Francis I, known as the "Sun King of the 16th century," is widely credited with bringing the Renaissance to France, even if his predecessor Louis XII had begun the process by bringing in architects and artisans from Florence, Milan and Rome.
Leonardo brought with him three of his favourite paintings: the Mona Lisa, the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, and Saint John the Baptist – all of which today hang in the Louvre museum in Paris.
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