ASTANA — Leonardo da Vinci’s “La Bella Principessa” made its historic debut in Astana, marking an invaluable cultural moment for Central Asia on June 7 . General Director and Founder of Scripta Maneant publishing house, Giorgio Armaroli and Scripta Maneant Foreign Rights Sales Officer, Francesco Iori discussed why this Renaissance masterpiece was chosen for display, its history and cultural significance for the two countries in an interview for this story. La Bella Principessa book spread.
Photo credit: Scripta Maneant It should be noted that the project, promoted by the Italian Embassy in Astana and curated by Scripta Maneant, was realized due to the support of ForteBank, Mastercard, the Italian Culture Institute and the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information. “Culture promotion is a powerful driver of dialogue and foreign policy,” Ambassador of Italy Marco Alberti told The Astana Times. “This unique initiative is a great dream come true thanks to a great cooperation between Italy and Kazakhstan.
” According to Iori, Leonardo da Vinci’s La Bella Principessa stands out among his works due to its unique medium and technique. Unlike most of his paintings, which we re done on canvas or wood, this piece is realized on vellum using chalks and ink. Scripta Maneant Foreign Rights Sales Officer, Francesco Iori.
Photo Credit: Qazmonitor / Adelina Kulyashkina “Less than 20 of Leonardo’s paintings exist worldwide, and very few are owned by private collectors. La.
