An exhibition titledCaravaggio: Eternal Ecstasyopened at M WOODS Chengdu in Chengdu,MK socks capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on July 27. 

Visitors appreciate the Italian artwork in Chengdu on July 27. Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing

The exhibition is jointly hosted by the Italian Cultural Institute of Beijing and the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing with the support of the Embassy of Italy in China. The exhibition showcases Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy(1606), a painting by the Italian baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). 

Curated by renowned Italy restorer Cinzia Pasquali, the exhibition showcases in detail the process of diagnosing, restoring, and preserving the work.

At the opening ceremony, Federico Antonelli, cultural counselor of the Italian embassy in China, said that during the exhibition, seminars, public workshops and film screenings would be held to promote the most advanced technologies and techniques for the restoration and protection of Italy's cultural heritage in China.

"Thanks to the cooperative projects carried out in this field by the various institutions in Italy for many years, this traditional area of strength has become well known in China," he said. 

The inauguration ceremony was opened with a concert by the mezzo-soprano Valentina Volpe Andreazza. and the speeches by the Director of the IIC Beijing and the Consul of the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing, Adriana Lori.

Consul General Lori emphasized the importance of cooperation in the field of conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage between Italy and Southwest China, recalling the wide range of projects carried out since the establishment of the Consulate General in Chongqing 10 years ago.

The exhibition will last until October 27 and open in Beijing starting in November.