St Jerome in the Wilderness by Leonardo da Vinci on display in St Peter's Square.

22 March-22 June. The Vatican displays St Jerome in the Wilderness, an unfinished painting by Leonardo da Vinci, on the 500th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance genius.

Dating from around 1480, the painting is on display until 22 June at a free exhibition at the Braccio di Carlo Magno in St Peter's Square.

The painting depicts St Jerome (S. Girolamo in Italian) kneeling in a rocky landscape in the Syrian desert, where he lived the life of a hermit in the fourth century.

Although little is known about the work and its commission, the Vatican Museums director Barbara Jatta says "there has never been any doubt about the signature and critics are all in agreement".

When the exhibition ends, the priceless masterpiece will travel to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and then the Louvre in Paris - as part of both museums' da Vinci celebrations - before returning to the Vatican.

Rome's Scuderie del Quirinale is hosting an exhibition dedicated to da Vinci's technical and scientific advances within the cultural context of his era, until 28 July.

The painting of St Jerome can be seen Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat from 10.00-18.00 (last entry 17.30). Wed 13.30-18.00 (last entry 17.30). Sun closed.