France and Italy are set to exchange works of two Renaissance artists after a bitter diplomatic spat.

The agreement to be signed in Paris on September 24 between the recently reappointed Italian culture minister Dario Franceschini and his French counterpart Franck Riester will see Italian museums lend Leonardo da Vinci's paintings to the Louvre in Paris for marking the 500th anniversary of the artist's death in October.

France would return the gesture by sharing works by Raphael for a similar event in 2020.

Plans to exchange the paintings were drawn up in 2017 by Franceschini, who was then the culture minister for Italy's Democratic Party, which involved 26 works of art by Leonardo going to the Louvre.

However, the deal faced resistance after the coalition government of the far-Right party Lega and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) came to power.

Alberto Bonisoli, the new culture minister, felt the deal was not in Italy's favor. 

His deputy, Lucia Borgonzoni, said: "Leonardo is Italian, he only died in France."

Attempts were later made by French President Emmanuel Macron to calm matters.

Franceschini returned as culture minister in September and revived the plans.

Macron also traveled to Rome on September 18 to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.