12/03/2008 09:49:00
The Stirling Smith gallery in Stirling has been announced as the only Scottish venue to host an upcoming touring exhibition of rare Da Vinci artworks in celebration of Prince Charles' 60th birthday later this year.
According to the BBC, the drawings are considered to be among the finest created by the Renaissance master. They are usually housed in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle and cannot be kept on permanent display due to possible damage by light.
To mark the Prince of Wales' sexagenarian birthday celebrations, the Da Vinci drawings will be on temporary exhibition at four different venues, beginning in May at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro and moving to the Stirling Smith in August.
Thereafter, the artworks will transfer to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth in November and conclude at the Manchester Art Gallery in May next year.
Cllr Colin O'Brien, chairman of trustees at the Stirling Smith, told the BBC: "This will be an expensive project - the additional security required is a huge cost in itself - and we are looking for financial assistance.
"The Smith hopes for the support of the Stirling business community and the public to make this exhibition happen."
Thousands of visitors a year flock to Stirling to visit its main attractions, which include Scotland's famous Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. The Stirling Smith first opened its doors over 130 years ago in 1874 and has since become once of the Scotland's most popular cultural monuments.