(ANSA) - Perugia, December 4 - This historic Umbrian city is paying tribute to the Caped Crusader and the Joker as the two archrivals turn 70.

A five-day festival celebrating the 1939 creation of Batman got under way on Thursday with the opening of an exhibition devoted to American comic book characters. Discussions, conferences and screenings are planned for coming days, starting with a debate organized by Milan University and entitled 'Batman vs Robin: Two faces of a contemporary legend'.

Three leading Italian cartoonists will attend a question and answer session on Saturday to discuss their work for the largest comic book houses in the US. Simone Bianchi, Claudio Castellini and Gabriele dell'Otto, whose ages range from just 36 to 43, have won international recognition for their time at DC Comics, which created Superman and Batman, and Marvel Comics, producers of Spiderman and The X-Men.

Die-hard Bat-fans will also get the chance to enjoy a marathon session of the best Caped Crusader movies of recent years on Saturday night. Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) will be screened at half past midnight, followed by Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), and Joel Schumacher's 1995 and 1997 movies: Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

The 'Bat-night' will wrap up in the early hours of dawn with Christopher Nolan's 2008 smash hit reboot, The Dark Knight.

On Sunday, Perugia will host 'Superscience', a light-hearted demonstration exploring the 'practical science' of superhero powers. Among other events are a discussion of real-life heroes and a look at the best superhero videogames. Although the celebrations devoted to Batman wrap up on Tuesday, the superhero exhibition at Palazzo della Penna's Contemporary Art Museum runs until January 9.

Entitled 'Super Hero Art: The mythology of the American comic book', the show offers a panorama of the development of superheroes, from comic books through to film and videogames.

Although the word 'superhero' was coined in 1917, the concept, as understood today, stems from the creation of Superman in 1938, followed quickly by Batman the following year.

The focus is on the US but the exhibition also includes a whole section on the work of Italian cartoonists and writers, including their ironic and subversive creations such as the inept superhero Ratman or Donald Duck's alter ego, Paperinik.