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Thursday, 21 April 2011 02:00

Poland lets da Vinci gem travel

The "Lady with an Ermine", a rare painting of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci The "Lady with an Ermine", a rare painting of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci

The "Lady with an Ermine", a rare painting of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci and Poland's greatest art treasure, was set to hit the road Wednesday after a year of heated debate by officials and experts.

Fearing it could be damaged, Poland's culture ministry was initially hostile to the idea of the masterpiece painted on wood leaving the country.

But Poland's deputy minister of culture, Piotr Zuchowski, said Wednesday that a personal appeal by its owner, Polish aristocrat Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski, convinced the ministry to allow it to go on display in Madrid, Berlin and London.

Spain's King Juan Carlos himself apparently asked for the da Vinci gem to travel to Spain.

"It's difficult to refuse the King of Spain, especially since he's my cousin," Czartoryski said, quoted by Poland's PAP news agency.

After agreeing to the Spanish request, Polish authorities also gave the nod to German and British appeals.

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