Milan wants Leonardo's Annunciation for Expo

(ANSA) Milan, February 12 - Milanese Culture Councillor Filippo Del Corno asked Culture Minister Enrico Franceschini Thursday to authorize the loan of Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation for the opening of the Milan Expo trade fair.
    "We have an extraordinary opportunity," Del Corno told ANSA, "as Premier Renzi has said, Italy is wagering its face, and the city council has created an opportunity for the face of Italy to be that of Leonardo. But we need an element to complete the mosaic".
    The missing element is The Annunciation, which is one of 23 works housed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence that officially were classed as forbidden to move (though already loaned to Tokyo in 2007).
    The exhibit for the start of Expo April 15 entitled 'Leonardo 1452 - 1519' is composed of 216 loaned artworks by the Renaissance master including 97 from around the world including the Louvre, the Washington national Gallery, the Metropolitan museum of New York, the British Museum and the Royal Library at Windsor.
    "All the world's museums have understood the importance of this exhibit," said Del Corno, "it would be absurd not to have the most important Italian museum".
    However Del Corno said time is running out to organise loan of the Annunciation, hence he hopes for authorisation by the end of this month.
    "My faith in the minister is total," he said. Expo President Diana Bracco came out against the idea.
    "We want to get people to go to other places, we don't have to bring everything to Milan", said Bracco, who is also commissioner of the Italian pavilion.
    Expo vainly tried last year to get another Italian art icon, the Riace Bronzes, from Calabria.