Career
Abroad he was visiting professor at Paris 3 (Sorbonne Nouvelle) (2001) and University of California Los Angeles (University of California, Los Angeles) (2009). He received his doctorate at the Catholic University of Milan with a dissertation directed by Giuseppe Billanovich, his researches focused on Renaissance Literature and Civilization in Italy and Europe, mainly in the history of intellectual workshops in the dawn of Modern Age, and in relationships between languages (literature and visual culture). Among his authors: Iacopo Sannazaro, Pietro Bembo, Lorenzo Valla, Erasmo da Rotterdam, Girolamo Aleandro, Antonio De Ferrariis detto Galateo.
Under the guide of Carlo Pedretti, he worked on the manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci, publishing the Book on Painting (Codex Urbinas, 1995) and of Codex Arundel (London, British Library, 1998).
He published also an anthology of Leonardo’s Writings (1992), and a biography Leonardo translated in several languages (1998, new ed 2006). He collaborated to the exhibitions of Leonardo’s drawings and manuscripts at Louvre (Paris, 2003) and Metropolitan Museum (New York, 2003), and to the exhibitions on Michelangelo at Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna, 1999) and Pietro Bembo (Padova, 2013).
He organized the exhibition of Leonardo’s drawings from Codex Atlanticus in Ambrosian Library about Fables and tales (Milan, 2013). Under the patronage of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, he organized also the international conference I mondi di Leonardo (Milan, 2002).
Among his creative publications, the poems Feuilles (Bruxelles, 1983), the dialogue Coblas.
Il mistero delle science stanze (with Alessandro Fo and Claudio Vela) (Milano, Scheiwiller, 1986), and the poem Viaggio in Québec (“Caffé Michelangiolo”, a XIV, n 2, maggio-agosto 2009, pp 24–26). Other composition for theatre: Louisiana luna capovolta. Sogni di Girolamo Cardano (first performance: Macerata, 2002), Compagne di classe (adapted from Scuola normale femminile by Matilde Serao.
First performance: Napoli, Liceo Fonseca, 2011), and Umbra profunda.
Frammenti della giovinezza di Giordano Bruno (Ginevra, 2013).