1519: The Year of Cosimo, Caterina, Dürer, and Leonardo

In 2019, Florence commemorates the 500th anniversary of the births of Cosimo I de' Medici (June 12, 1519) and Caterina de' Medici (April 13, 1519), future Grand Duke of Tuscany and Queen of France, respectively. The city has organized a committee of 22 institutions, supported by MUS.E, to host over 50 events from March to December, including exhibitions, concerts, and guided tours. At Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the exhibition 'Omaggio a Caterina' runs until May 21, featuring Jacopo Chimenti da Empoli's painting 'Nozze di Caterina de' Medici con Enrico II di Francia' on loan from the Uffizi, along with documents from the Biblioteca Moreniana. Meanwhile, 1519 was a year of crisis for Albrecht Dürer: his first master Michael Wolgemut died, as did Emperor Maximilian I, for whom Dürer had created a monumental 193-block woodcut triumphal arch and the popular 'Rhinoceros' print. These works appear in 'Albrecht Dürer. La collezione Remondini' at Palazzo Sturm in Bassano del Grappa (April 20–September 30) and in 'Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528). Capolavori a bulino' at Palazzo Bianco in Genoa (April 18–June 30). Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519. A lesser-known fact: in the late 15th century, he was paid by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano to design a wooden model for the cathedral's tiburium, a challenge that involved top architects and engineers. This will be discussed on May 6 at the Duomo's Cappella Feriale.