The genius of Leonardo da Vinci is disguised somewhat in this cheerfully anachronistic tale of his encounters with the Medicis

Theatre-goers are used to solicitous, nannying notices about strobe-lighting, nudity and even cigarette-smoking at the entrance to productions.

A Romanian airliner "bounced" off the runway while landing at Rome's main airport during heavy winds, injuring a flight attendant and four passengers.

It is the most-visited, the most written about and the most parodied work of art in the world but the ‘uncatchable smile’ that makes Leonard da Vinci’s Mona Lisa so special is not unique according to experts.

Curves and length signal both frailty and strength, finds Roger Dobson

The man who defaced Rothko's 1958 work 'Black on Maroon' now claims he has added value to the painting. While that's probably a bit of a stretch, his actions are certainly not the most outrageous example of vandalism in art history.

Emma considers 50 shades of stardom

Mona Lisa's sister, bad (or maybe good?) news for aerophobics, driverless cars, a new element and a printable gun

A foundation says it will prove to the world today that Leonardo Da Vinci painted an earlier version of the Mona Lisa - a claim doubted by at least one expert on the multifaceted Renaissance artist.

There will be no need to travel all the way to Paris to see the Louvre from the end of this year. Over 200 of the museum's most important works will be moving to a new branch in Lens in the Pas de Calais, just across the Channel.

The discovery of another version of da Vinci's masterpiece shows that La Gioconda took him 16 years to paint

It’s a gory portrayal of the crucifixion, created from casts of human bone and blood vessels, which looks certain to offend Easter church-goers. But Dr Gunther von Hagens, the controversial anatomist, insists that his latest work is not blasphemous but a true expression of Christian values.

A fresh numerical start and a new land to explore are just two of the reasons why we're getting excited.