Michelangelo Merisi, the man who would become the famous but troubled artist known as Caravaggio, worked hard in Rome. Known as the “Bad Boy of the Baroque”, Caravaggio’s works date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Although he originally trained in Milan, he worked extensively in Rome, and some of his most famous paintings (which are some of the best-known paintings of the Baroque art period) decorate the churches of Rome or are found within the galleries of the town.
Borghese Gallery
The Borghese Gallery, one of the best museums in Rome, contains almost a dozen paintings by Caravaggio, making it a great place to start your trip to Caravaggio.
Some of Caravaggio’s most famous works of art on display are “Boy with a Basket of Fruit,” “David with the Head of Goliath,” “Self-Portrait as Bacchus,” and his portrait of Pope Paul V.
Reservations for the Borghese Gallery are mandatory and your ticket allows you a two-hour period inside. To lessen the stress of your trip, purchase your Borghese Gallery tickets online in advance at Select Italy.
Iglesia de San Luigi dei Francesi
The best place to find Caravaggio paintings in Rome is in the small church of San Luigi dei Francesi, near Piazza Navona. Inside the Contarelli Chapel you can see the cycle of the master “San Mateo”, which is made up of “The Call of San Mateo”, “Inspiration of San Mateo” and “The martyrdom of San Mateo”.
Entrance to the church is free, although it will cost you a nominal fee to activate the lights to properly view the paintings.
Capitoline Museums
The Capitoline Museums contain two paintings by Caravaggio. “The Fortune Teller” is a painting that Caravaggio executed twice.
The painting on Capitoline is the first version, while the second is in the Louvre in Paris. Caravaggio’s “John the Baptist (with a Ram)” is also in the Capitoline Museums.
Church of Santa Maria del Popolo
The Cerasi Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo, the unassuming church on the north side of Piazza del Popolo, is where to go for a quick Caravaggio repair.
The chapel contains two paintings, and admission is free for the public: “Conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus” and the famous “Crucifixion of St. Peter.”
Vatican Museums
Caravaggio’s work “The Burial of Christ” is in the Vatican Museums. As it is located in the Pinacoteca (art gallery) of the Vatican Museums, it is often overlooked when visitors rush to reach the Sistine Chapel and the other main attractions of the Museum.
However, this well-known and emotional work is definitely worth looking for, and will get you away from the crowds, at least for a few moments. The art gallery includes works by many other important artists, such as Giotto, Raphael, Perugino, and da Vinci.
The best way to avoid long entrance lines is by purchasing your ticket in advance, up to 60 days before your visit. You can buy Vatican Museum tickets online at Select Italy.
