"Never before have the Uffizi Galleries allowed such high-definition copies to be made for these masterpieces, and we believe it is worth the high cost to have them made in Italy and shipped to Shanghai. They will be important supplements to the treasured exhibits from there," says Xie.

Located in Rome, the Uffizi Galleries have the largest collection of Renaissance masterpieces, and Botticelli, being a preeminent Renaissance master, had created artworks that "infiltrated our collective imagination and played an important part in our understanding of beauty, making continuous impact on our art, design and fashion", says Tiziana D'Angelo, consul general of Italy in Shanghai.

The exhibition is seen as an important project promoting cultural exchanges between China and Italy, says D'Angelo.

Apart from the Botticelli showcase, a series of other cultural events will be held this year to further enhance bilateral relations, she adds. Among the events is an Italian archaeological exhibition focused on the ancient Roman civilization. This exhibition will be held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Botticelli and the Renaissance will be the second exhibition created under the agreement signed in 2021 between Tix-Media and the Uffizi Galleries. According to the agreement, the two parties will host 10 exhibitions at the Bund One Art Museum within five years.

The first exhibition of the series, Uffizi Self-Portrait Masterpieces, was held from Sept 9 to Jan 8, and featured 50 self-portraits of classical masters and contemporary artists.