On 15 April 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was born — a man who belongs to that group of artists of vital importance, of such worldwide fame that they are known and recognisable by their first name alone. A talent who explored every field of human ingenuity and changed our lives. Leonardo was a painter, architect, scientist and inventor. The undisputed protagonist of the Italian Renaissance, he revolutionised both art and science.

Although his name betrays his Tuscan origins, Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked for much of his time in Milan, where he "applied himself" above all to painting. The genius left many legacies to the Lombard capital, from the Last Supper (known as the Cenacolo), painted between 1494 and 1498 and displayed in the former refectory next to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The museo della Scienza e della Tecnica bears his name.

Also dedicated to him is the exhibition that opens today, 15 April, at Palazzo reale, and which is open to the public from 16 April to 19 July. A deliberate choice, timed just days before the opening of Expo Milan 2015 and the arrival of millions of tourists who, over the coming months, will have the opportunity to visit the city's artistic and architectural treasures as well.

The exhibition brings to Milan a remarkable number of works from the world's most celebrated museums and libraries, from the Louvre in Paris to the British Museum in London, from the Metropolitan in New York to the Vatican Museums. All on hand to celebrate the genius of Leonardo who, 563 years after his birth, remains a symbol and source of inspiration for those who today engage with art, creativity, industry and technology.