(ANSA) - Rome, May 22 - An exhibition in Volterra featuring Rosso Fiorentino's Deposition from the Cross and the breadth of artistic activity throughout Volterra, as well as four 16th century tapestries restored and displayed at the Uffizi in Florence, are among the art exhibits opening this weekend in Tuscany.

The masterwork by flame-haired Florentine painter Giovanni Battista di Jacopo - commonly known as Rosso Fiorentino - sets the stage for a round of events kicking off Friday and continuing through December 31, 2015, in Volterra, near Pisa.

The show Rosso Fiorentino. Rosso Vivo is aimed at showcasing the museums and palazzos of this ancient Etruscan city while rediscovering the power of connections between ancient and contemporary art through shows and debates.

At the centre of the entire event is Rosso Fiorentino's Descent from the Cross, the heart-wrenching scene emphasized by the artist's style with its vertical whirlpool of boldly coloured cloth - a hallmark of Mannerism which broke the harmony of High Renaissance, leading art towards the Baroque.

Considered by many scholars to be Fiorentino's greatest work, this 1521 altarpiece that marked a new era in Mannerism is on display at Volterra's Pinacoteca Comunale.

A large number of his works are also showcased at Florence's Palazzo Strozzi alongside those of his contemporary Jacopo Carucci, known as Pontormo, as part an exhibit on the two artists and the diverging paths of Mannerism, running through July 20.

Both artists studied at the Florence studio of Andrea Del Sarto, who is associated with the High Renaissance.

Also in Florence, an exhibit that opens Friday and continues until June 28 at the Uffizi's Sala delle Reali Poste will showcase four precious 16th century tapestries that have been renovated by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Italy's premier restoration center.

La Galleria degli Arazzi - Fragilità della Bellezza (The Gallery of Tapestries, The Frailty of Beauty) features the great Flemish tapestry woven by Cornelis de Ronde depicting the despoliation of bodies after the battle of Cannae. Also on show are tapestries by another 16th century Flemish artist Nicola Karcher - Ecce Homo and Resurrection - which were restored in the 1990s, and the extremely delicate tapestry by Giovanni Rost woven in 1553, depicting December, January and February.

Contemporary art will take center stage in Lucca, where Palazzo Ducale will host an exhibit on Roman sculptor Emanuele Giannelli, 52.

Disquieting, enraged aliens in bronze, chalk and resin on show until June 8 are part of a retrospective on the work of this artist, which highlights his links to classicism as well as his fascination with science fiction and cyber culture, in particular, his love for Philip K. Dick, author of Blade Runner.