Italian artist Giampaolo Tomassetti presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a large, colourful painting of Varanasi's sacred ghats during Modi's official visit to Rome on 20 May. The artwork depicts the Ganges riverfront, complete with boats and the iconic ghats, and was handed over in a meeting that underscored the deep cultural bridge Tomassetti has built between Italy and India over four decades.

Four Decades of Indian Cultural Engagement

Tomassetti's connection with Indian civilisation stretches back to the 1980s, when he began illustrating books on Vedic culture. His first encounter with the Mahabharata came at the age of 17 through Peter Brook's celebrated theatrical adaptation, an experience that ignited a lifelong artistic obsession. After roughly five years of deep study, he embarked on a 12-year core painting project, producing 23 large-scale oil paintings that reinterpret the ancient Indian epic — work carried out between 2008 and 2013 in phases at locations including Città di Castello and Perugia in Italy, in collaboration with the International Vedic Art Academy at Villa Vrindavan.

What the Mahabharata Series Depicts

Among the most notable canvases in Tomassetti's collection is Partha-Sarathi, portraying Krishna as Arjuna's charioteer, and a visceral rendering of the moment Krishna miraculously extends Draupadi's sari during her humiliation at the dice game. Another dramatic piece captures Arjuna and Subhadra's chariot escape set against the backdrop of Dwarka. The series also includes battle scenes, Krishna's return to Dwarka, and Shishupala's insults toward Krishna. The works are distinguished by expansive landscapes, intricate architectural detail — including an idealised Indraprastha — and expressively rendered characters.

What PM Modi Said

'A glimpse of Kashi in Rome! Mr. Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter, presented his work on Varanasi. His passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades. In the 1980s he started as an illustrator for books on Vedic culture. From 2008 to 2013 he worked on 23 large paintings relating to the Mahabharat,' Prime Minister Modi wrote in a post on X, sharing a photograph of the two men standing beside the artwork.

Modi's Rome Visit and India-Italy Ties

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday as the final leg of a five-nation tour. He was received at the airport by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Modi with a post on X — 'Welcome to Rome, my friend!' — before the two leaders shared dinner and visited the iconic Colosseum.

Bilateral talks between Modi and Meloni are scheduled at the historic Villa Doria Pamphili, where both sides are expected to adopt a joint declaration deepening the India-Italy Strategic Partnership. Modi is also set to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The visit comes as both countries actively implement the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, covering trade, investment, defence, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people ties.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), bilateral trade reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative foreign direct investment stood at USD 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025. The MEA noted the visit would further strengthen India's engagement with Europe, particularly following the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Modi had last visited Italy in June 2024 for the G7 Summit.