The Italy Pavilion was said to be one of the most crowded attractions at the Expo—some visitors even waited more than seven hours to get inside.

I couldn’t visit the Italy Pavilion when the EXPO 2025 Osaka was actually being held, but I recently managed to get a reservation for
Atlante farnese and the treasures of the Italy pavilion from the EXPO 2025 0saka, an exhibition hosted at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. So I went to see it. The exhibition features artworks and historical pieces that were originally displayed at the Italy Pavilion.

First, I saw the Farnese Atlas—
a massive ancient statue carrying a celestial globe that reflects the cosmology of ancient Greece. It’s considered one of the masterpieces of classical sculpture and was shown in Japan for the first time at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

The statue was carved from a two-ton block of stone, and the exhibition allowed visitors to view it from every angle. No matter where you looked, the level of detail was stunning. The veins in the arms, the texture of the hair—everything was rendered with remarkable softness and precision.

Another highlight was Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus.
Even though the exhibition required reservations, there was still a long line just to see this piece. The viewing time was brief, but witnessing a manuscript created more than 500 years ago still preserved in readable condition was truly awe-inspiring.