Franceschini will sign agreement with France to exchange works by Leonardo and Raphael

The much-discussed agreement between Italy and France to temporarily exchange works by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael on the occasion of their respective temporary exhibitions dedicated to the 500th anniversary of their deaths (2019 for Leonardo, 2020 for Raphael) will finally go through. This was revealed by the British newspaper The Guardian, according to which the culture ministers of the two countries, Dario Franceschini and Franck Riester, will meet on Tuesday in Paris to sign the agreement, which provides for the loan of Leonardo da Vinci’s works by Italy for the Louvre exhibition (which will begin in October) and the arrival in Italy of some of Raphael’s works for events dedicated to him.

The Guardian, citing an unidentified spokesman for Franceschini, also lets it be known that the agreement covers “many works”: which ones exactly, however, will be determined next week. It is likely, however, that many masterpieces will not be included: for example, for theAnnunciation, a few months ago the director of the Uffizi, Eike D. Schmidt, had opposed the loan. Instead, the Scapiliata, the Portrait of a Musician from the Ambrosiana, and some drawings could be among the papayas, in our opinion.

The British newspaper tried to get some information from Professor Barbara Agosti, professor of art history and criticism at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and a member of the Committee for the Celebrations of the 500th Anniversary of Leonardo’s Death, established by Franceschini in February 2018 for the purpose of evaluating the initiatives to be promoted this year to commemorate Leonardo (in addition to Agosti, its members include Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, Roberta Barsanti, Alessandro Cecchi, Vincent Delieuvin, Mario De Simoni, Maria Teresa Fiorio, Antonio Forcellino, Fiorenzo Galli, Paolo Galluzzi, Pietro Marani, Antonia Pasqua Recchia, Sabrina Sammuri, and Luke Syson). Agosti, however, let it be known that “it will only be a matter of sealing a pact,” because “Leonardo’s year is drawing to a close and much of the work has already been done. Now it is Raffaello’s turn.” Moreover, Agosti concluded, “now that the situation has calmed down we hope that everyone can work well, because all the uncertainties have prevented us from working at our best.”

Franceschini, the English newspaper recalls, began negotiations with the French government in 2017, just a few months before the end of his term, and the agreement came to an abrupt halt with the arrival of the gialloverde government (it will be recalled the strong controversy triggered by then Undersecretary Lucia Borgonzoni, who accused France of wanting to have for itself the most important exhibition of the year on Leonardo, making the five-hundredth anniversary of Leonardo’s birth a political case). Now, with Franceschini’s return to government, dialogue with France has resumed: moreover, this week French President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit to Rome to meet President Sergio Mattarella, as part of which he confirmed the friendship between the two countries.

Pictured: Leonardo da Vinci, Annunciation (c. 1472-1475; oil and tempera on panel, 98 x 217 cm; Florence, Uffizi)

Franceschini will sign agreement with France to exchange works by Leonardo and Raphael

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