ROME, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Art lovers around the world are marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael, one of the most celebrated artists of the Renaissance. One of the exhibitions, opening Saturday in Kunming, China is also marking a new phase in cultural exchange between Italy and China.

The "Raphael's Art: Impossible Encounter" exhibition at the SUNAC Center for Contemporary Art in Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan Province, will feature high-resolution copies of 36 best-known works from Raphael, who lived from 1483 to 1520.

The exhibition, which also features cooperation from Italy's Ministry of Culture, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Embassy in China, the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing, and Beijing's CAFA Museum, marks a resumption of cultural cooperation between Italy and China that was interrupted earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

News of the exhibition was confirmed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by officials at the museum in Kunming. It will remain open until Sept. 5.

According to Antonio Forcellino, the author of various books on the Renaissance, the choice of a Raphael exhibition in China as a way to restart cultural cooperation between the two countries makes artistic sense.

"Along with Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, Raphael broke down artistic walls in a way that changed the history of art," Forcellino told Xinhua. "As an artist, Raphael achieved perfection. I don't think there is a better figure to represent Italian culture in other countries than Raphael." Enditem

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