Caravaggio’s masterpiece coming to Bengaluru; see it before July 6

Bengaluru: For the first time, Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy, the famous 17th-century painting by Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio, is set to be displayed in Bengaluru.

The painting will be exhibited at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) from June 14 to July 6. It was previously displayed in Delhi at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.

On Sunday, the Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru marked the 79th anniversary of the Italian Republic with a vibrant National Day celebration, reflecting on four years of deepening Indo-Italian relations.

Italian Consul General in Bengaluru, Alfonso Tagliaferri, also announced a new partnership with Karnataka's Department of Electronics, IT and BT, and Italy to launch an Italian Innovation Hub to facilitate startup acceleration and bilateral academic collaborations.

He also announced a new cultural project, which aims to spotlight South India’s historical ties with Italy.

"In a conversation with the minister of tourism last year, we noted that some marvels in South India, like Hampi, remain under-recognised in Europe," he said.

After some research, he discovered that the first European to visit the Vijayanagara Empire was an Italian from Venice in the 15th century, named Niccolò de' Conti, and even earlier, Marco Polo travelled through Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

To showcase these connections, the consulate has produced a documentary, set to premiere on June 23, with plans for wider distribution on international flights between India and Italy.

This year’s event was also the last National Day for Consul General Tagliaferri, who completes his three-and-a-half years in Bengaluru on July 15. He acknowledged a growing challenge: a significant mismatch between demand and available services, especially regarding visa processing. "We have asked for two new employees to manage the volume. The interest in Italy is growing faster than our ability to respond,” he said.

The celebrations also featured flute renditions of the Italian and Indian national anthems by renowned musician Varijashree Venugopal and the Gokulam Flute Ensemble.