One of the major art events of the spring kicks off at Rome's Scuderie del Quirinale next month with the opening of an exhibition devoted to Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).
The show, entitled Dürer e l'Italia' (Dürer and Italy), looks at the German artist's relationship with Italy and reveals how it was beneficial to both.
It features over 200 works - by Dürer himself, by the local artists who inspired him and by the Italians he in turn inspired.
Dürer was one of the first artists to take the discoveries of the Renaissance beyond Italy's borders.
After serving his apprenticeship at a workshop for altars and woodcut illustrations in his hometown Nuremburg, the young Dürer travelled around Europe to broaden his horizons. He visited northern Italy in 1494, aged 23.
He studied the works of Renaissance painters, especially Andrea Mantegna, absorbing the Italians' technical accomplishments in terms of perspective, proportion and the classical-style representation of the human body.
He returned to Nuremburg in 1495 to set up his own workshop.
Armed with the techniques he had learned in Italy, he quickly rose to artistic stardom.
Part of his success was attributable to his woodcut prints, which enabled his work to travel further and wider than that of other artists.
His career was an inspiration for several Italian artists, such as Raphael, Titian and Parmigianino, who collaborated with printmakers to distribute their work beyond their local regions.
Dürer returned to Italy for a second time in 1506 and painted a number of significant works, such as the Adoration of the Magi, one of the masterpieces which will be on show at the Scuderie del Quirinale.
This work has been specially restored for the Rome exhibition.
It comes from Florence's Uffizi gallery, which is lending its entire collection of Dürer pieces to the show. This includes a series of engravings and drawings, which originally belonged to the Medici family.
Other highlights are his depictions of the Apostles James and Philip, a portrait of his father, Albrecht Dürer the Elder, and a drawing entitled Apollo with the Solar Disc.
Dürer masterpieces are also on their way from Vienna, Washington, Madrid and London and several top German museums.
These will be displayed alongside works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio and Carracci.
Dürer and Italy runs at Rome's Scuderie del Quirinale from March 9 until June 9.
