By Dean Gregory, to Museum Spotlight Europe (March 2020)
Rome, Italy, abounds with centuries of splendid art spanning a medley of styles and schools that render the majesty and frailty of mankind. Antiquities from ancient Rome, works by Italian Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo and Raphael as well as paintings and sculptures by the Baroque master Bernini illuminate the splendor of the Italian capital.
However, one artist in particular captures both the dark and light of Rome and more broadly the human experience through his exquisite art. The works of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, are found throughout the Eternal City in an array of spectacular churches and museums. Visitors to Rome, thus, are presented with a remarkable lens to observe the history, contours and mysteries of the city through one of its most challenging yet gifted souls. Learn below where to enjoy the works of Caravaggio in Rome during your journey into the mind of a misunderstood genius.
A Man of Intrigue and Mystery
Born Michelangel Merisi in 1571, the artist took his name in honor of his hometown of Caravaggio in northern Lombardy. Overtime he would come to both glorify and, perhaps, tarnish the name through a dramatic, short-lived, high-contrast life rich with intrigue, artistic innovation and even murder. Moving to Rome in 1592, then the art center of the world, he began his career by painting still-life works of fruit and flowers. After three years of struggle, Cardinal Francesco del Monte, an esteemed patron of the arts, recognized Caravaggio’s talent and commissioned him to create several public works. Equal to his growing fame was the painter’s volatile nature spurred by a devil-may-care lifestyle full of drinking, brawling, dueling and visits to houses of ill repute throughout his 15 years in Rome.
His tempestuous behavior resulted in numerous arrests for an assortment of infractions, including scarring a guard, throwing a plate full of artichokes at a server in a tavern, slashing the cloak of a rival as well as abusing the police. Eventually, his volatile nature came to a climax in 1606 when a man he fought in duel died of the wounds inflicted by Caravaggio. After being sentenced to death by Pope Paul V, the painter fled Rome; but, his time on the run in Malta, Sicily and Naples proved equally prolific where he created some of his most notable masterpieces. Nevertheless, the painter’s fortune eventually ran out as he died under mysterious circumstances in Porto Ecoloe in Southern Tuscany, just as he had received a pardon for his crime to return to Rome.
Church Art
Located in the Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo at the Piazza del Popolo, two paintings by Caravaggio, The Conversion of St. Paul and The Crucifixion of St. Peter flank an altar piece by Annibale Carracci. Both artists were commissioned in 1402 by Tiberio Cerasi the treasurer to the Pope at the time. Admission to the church is free for visitors.
Housed in the beautiful French church San Luigi dei Francesi near the splendid Piazza Navona, Caravaggio’s The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew and The Calling of St. Matthew adorn the Contarelli Chapel. The latter work is a remarkable piece depicting Christ enlisting Matthew as an apostle. Yet, interestingly, Caravaggio renders the figures dressed as contemporary figures of the time in the 16th century. The Martyrdom painting hangs opposite of the Calling work next to the Inspiration piece, which serves the altarpiece of the chapel.
Also located around the Piazza Navona, the Contarelli Chapel in the Sant’Agostino Church features Caravaggio’s Madonno di Loreto. The painting renders the apparition of the Virgin Mary and child to two peasant pilgrims kneeling in front of the vision. The Madonna is barefoot with the child nude. The piece exemplifies the ability of the artist to masterfully weave the sacred and the profane into a moving and deeply spiritual image. Unsurprisingly, the painting caused controversy at the time, yet helped to establish the genius of Caravaggio. Admission to the church is free. All three worship spaces are located in the heart of Rome easily accessible by public transportation, taxis or pedestrian walkways and a medley of choice accommodation options.
Museums
The Galleria Borghese boasts a remarkable collection of Caravaggio paintings. Notable works include Portrait of Paul V Borghese, Self-Portrait as Bacchus and David with the Head of Goliath. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, as the number of guests allowed into the museum at a given time is limited. Likewise, The Palazzo Barberini features a bountiful collection of works by Caravaggio. Highlights of the collection include Narcissus, the Madonna and Child and Saint Francis in Meditation. In addition, the artist’s The Denial of Saint Peter echoes the style utilized in depicting The Calling of St. Matthew. Within the Vatican Museum is the Deposition by Caravaggio, considered one of his seminal works, portrays the burial of Christ after the Crucifixion. The artists portrays Mary Magdalene, John, Nicodemus and the Virgin Mary around the body of Christ. At the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, the Maddalena penitente renders a solemn depiction of the religious figure, while the Rest on the Flight into Egypt by the artist provides a lush portrayal of the biblical moment. All the museums in Rome are located in the center of the capital and are easily accessible by taxi, public transportation and pedestrian walkways from an assortment of accommodation options.
Beyond Rome
Although the churches and museums of Rome offer wonderful insight into the work of Caravaggio, other institutions to the south in Naples, Sicily and Malta provide greater understanding of the artist while retracing his steps during the final period of his life and work. At the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, guests have the opportunity to experience arguably the artist’s greatest work, The Flagellation of Christ. Further down the boot of Italy in Sicily, visitors have access to the Raising of Lazarus in Messina and the Burial of Saint Lucy in Syracuse, among other works. Finally, across the Mediterranean Sea on the island of Malta, Caravaggio’s Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and St. Jerome adorn the Cathedral of St. John, Valetta, where the artist received solace temporarily in admission to the order of the institution’s namesake. Naples, Sicily and Malta are accessible from Rome by train, ferry and flight making them easy for visitors to reach from a base in the Eternal City.
