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The Da Vinci Code opens in Florence cinemas; it promises to be a talking point for weeks to come, not least in the city where Leonardo once lived and worked. The Da Vinci Code opens the 59th festival de Cannes, to be presented out of competition.

Directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer and John Calley for Columbia Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, will open the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday May 17, 2006.

Top billing goes to Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Jean Reno with Paris's Louvre and Saint-Sulpice Church among the star sets of both the novel and film.

The Da Vinci Code was adapted from Dan Brown's esoteric thriller with more than 30 million copies sold throughout the world.

The Da Vinci Code will be released in French theatres on the same day as its premiere at Cannes, and on Friday the 19th in its world release. The Cannes Film Festival will run from Wednesday, May 17th to Sunday May 28th, 2006.

In Florence the movie will be released on Monday, May 22nd in CineHall and other cinemas.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a renaissance painter, sculptor, musician, architect, engineer, and philosopher, a true genius.

He was born on the 15th of April 1452 probably in this farmhouse in Anchiano, which is 3 km away from Vinci.

Leonardo lived in Vinci until 1466. With the age of 14 Leonardo moved to Florence where he began an apprenticeship in the workshop of Verrocchio.

Verrocchio was at this time the most gifted artist in Florence. He was a sculptor, painter, goldsmith, bronze caster and more. There is no doubt that Verrocchio had much influence on Leonardo. Verrocchio was fascinated by the drawings of the young Leonardo and so he gave him a place in his workshop. Leonardo worked at the workshop of Verrocchio with some other famous artists like Botticelli, Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi.

He left Florence for Rome in 1513 and in 1516 went to France. There is little evidence that he painted after he left Rome.

Leonardo died on 2 May 1519 in Amboise and at this time Leonardo da Vinci was 67 year old. There are apparently 27 painting attributed to Leonardo. The most Leonardo’s painting has the Louvre, Paris and Florence and Tuscany.

"Leonardo da Vinci was like a man who awoke too early in the darkness, while the others were all still asleep" Sigmund Freud

For more information visit

• Da Vinci's Last Supper
  
• Vinci, Leonardo's Home Town 
• Leonardo da Vinci Gallery