Leonardo show opens in Florence, Italy

Leonardo da Vinci's famed study of the brain, a self portrait and his famous St. Jerome will be part of a new show about the Renaissance genius.

The program at Florence's Uffizi Gallery, opening Tuesday, is reportedly designed to present an "undistorted" picture of Leonardo's contribution to science, technology, art and culture, organizers told Italy's ANSA news service.

The show presents a series of faithful and spectacular models of the most innovative machines and most ingenious experiments conceived by Leonardo during his lifetime, from 1452 to 1519.

The exhibition was created by the Florence History of Science Museum and entitled "The Mind of Leonardo, The Universal Genius at Work."

Organizers say the show will present a "fascinating, historically correct image of the mind of Leonardo, set against the context of the time in which he lived."

For the first time, they told ANSA, visitors will be able to grasp the relationships between Leonardo's artistic studies, those on nature and anatomy, the design of machines and buildings, and his scientific theories.

The show is the first of a European series of Leonardo exhibits sponsored by the Council of Europe and entitled The Universal Leonardo.