In his biography of Leonardo da Vinci, written 30 years after the artist’s death in 1519, Giorgio Vasari said Leonardo had “such a power of intellect that whatever he turned his mind to, he made himself master of with ease.”

In this 500th anniversary year of the artist’s death, the Musée du Louvre in Paris has undeniably stolen the limelight with its blockbuster exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci.” Yet, that intellectual dexterity — manifest in Leonardo’s paintings and drawings, as well as his scientific studies, and his engineering and architectural models — has spawned celebratory exhibitions in several Italian cities where Leonardo’s legacy remains a source of pride.