Touch of Italian Renaissance in Kolkata to celebrate 70 years of bilateral relationship

In a bid to enthrall the people of Kolkata with a taste of authentic Italian art from the Renaissance period, a unique exhibition of famous Italian painter Raphael's works was inaugurated on Thursday as part of the multifarious events on occasion of the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations.

The exhibition entitled 'Opera Omina- Raffaello', organised by the Italian consulate here, exhibits life size digital renditions of 35 paintings by Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance period, Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino including masterpieces like 'Madonna with a child' and 'the transfiguration' at the Indian Museum here.

"I thought Kolkata would be the right place for the exhibition for getting more people to see and appreciate it. We would also hold a concert tomorrow (Friday) where Italian musicians will play the Renaissance music to take the visual experience of the painting exhibition to another level. There would be a seminar on geographical indications in Kolkata in April and whole week of Italian cuisine in November," Italian Consul General Damiano Francovigh said.

"The aim of such exhibitions is to give the local visitors a first hand exposure of those great Italian art forms. We hope that they will be willing know and explore more about the cultural heritage by visiting Italy," he said.

The Italian Consul General said the calendar event to celebrate the friendship between the two countries were planned during Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi towards the end of last year.

Stating that the century old relation between the two countries needs to be celebrated more often, Francovigh said similar events on various aspects like art, culture, food, business etc would also be held in Delhi later this year.

--IANS

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