Among the most beloved treasures of the Royal Museums of Turin is Sandro Botticelli's Venus, a work of great fascination that has captured the attention of the public and critics for years. Currently on display in the exhibition "From Botticelli to Mucha. Beauty, Nature, Seduction" at Palazzo Chiablese (until July 27), this female figure enchants with her solemn grace and the refined play of light and shadow that shapes her features. Different from the Uffizi's famous Birth of Venus, the Turin version shows the goddess on a black background, standing on a stone base, almost as if she were a classical statue. The gesture with which she covers herself recalls the ancient iconography of Venus Pudica, creating an evocative dialogue with the Roman sculpture displayed next door. The face, which combines delicacy and melancholy, has been associated with the legendary Simonetta Vespucci, the artist's muse. The painting's history is compelling: purchased in Florence in the 19th century, it passed through English and private collections until it landed in Riccardo Gualino's collection in the 1930s. Since then it has become part of the city's heritage, immediately attracting great critical interest. In recent years, the work has been the focus of in-depth diagnostic analysis as part of the VE.N.E.RE project. (VEnus Non-invasive Examination and REsearch), selected among the best European projects in the field of scientific research applied to cultural heritage. The investigations, coordinated by restorers and researchers from several institutes (including CNR and INO), revealed surprising details: preparatory drawings, modifications in progress, and the presence of a painted stone niche behind the figure, which reinforces its resemblance to an ancient sculpture.