Palazzo Barberini Caravaggio 2025: Works, Useful Info, Tickets

Produced by the National Galleries of Ancient Art in collaboration with the prestigious Galleria Borghese, the exhibition Caravaggio 2025 was one of the most important and ambitious events ever dedicated to the restless genius of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio (1571-1610).

The major exhibition Caravaggio 2025 ended on July 20, but for those who did not make it there is still a unique opportunity not to be missed.

Until September 30, 2025, Palazzo Barberini is in fact hosting one of Merisi’s most fascinating masterpieces: the Conversion of Saul, also known as the Odescalchi Altarpiece.

It is a work rarely seen by the public, coming from a private collection, exceptionally exhibited together with a high-definition reproduction of the other version of the Conversion, kept in the Cerasi Chapel.

The comparison between the two paintings, enriched by diagnostic materials and reflectographs, offers an extraordinary opportunity to delve into Caravaggio’s stylistic evolution and working method.

Caravaggio exhibition at Palazzo Barberini: useful info

Dates and opening hours

March 7 to July 20, 2025

Regular hours:

• Sunday through Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (last entry at 7:00 p.m.)
• Friday and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. (last entry at 9:00 p.m.)
• On Mondays, access to the exhibition is allowed only to the organized public

Overtime hours:

• april 20 and 25, 2025: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m
• april 21, May 1 and June 2, 2025: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m

Tickets and reservations

Tickets for the Caravaggio exhibition are no longer available.

Caravaggio exhibition

NOTE This ticket covers access to the exhibition only and does not include access to Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini. The next section presents the combined ticket, which instead allows access to both the exhibition and museums.

• Full: €18.00
• Reduced €15.00: for visitors between 18 and 25 years old
• Reduced €12.00: reserved for:
  • National Galleries Pass holders
  • Affiliated tour operators
  • Intesa Sanpaolo customers
  • Holders of admission tickets to the Gallerie d’Italia and Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte venues
  • Others with special agreements
• Reduced €9.00: for Intesa Sanpaolo employees and ALI members

PLEASE NOTE: Free and reduced tickets are available at the museum’s ticket counters where you will need to show ID or necessary documentation proving your right to access the concessionary rate. Reservations for these tickets can be made:

• call 0639967500 from Italy
• write an e-mail to gan-aar.comunicazione@cultura.gov.it.

Free admission

• Under 18 years of age
• Schoolchildren and accompanying teachers from the European Union (reservation required)
• Students and teachers from:
  • Architecture
  • Humanities (specializing in archaeology or art history)
  • Conservation of Cultural Heritage
  • Education Sciences
  • Academies of Fine Arts
• Ministry of Culture employees
• ICOM members
• Tour guides and interpreters on duty
• Journalists with bar association cards
• Handicapped persons with accompanying persons
• School teaching staff, tenured or term contracted, with appropriate attestation from MIUR

Schools and groups

The Caravaggio 2025 exhibition is open to groups and schools, with some specific rules to ensure an optimal experience.

• Groups (8-25 people): the use of radio guides, available for rent at a cost of €2 per person, is mandatory.
• School day: Mondays are reserved for school visits.
• Minigroups: tours can also be arranged for small groups, starting from 3 participants.

Caravaggio exhibition + access to the museums of Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini

In addition to access to the Caravaggio exhibition, this ticket includes access to Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini.

• Full: €33.00
• Reduced €17: for visitors between 18 and 25 years old

PLEASENOTE: Free and reduced tickets are available at the museum’s ticket counters where you will need to show ID or necessary documentation proving your right to access the concessionary rate. Reservations for such tickets can be made:

• call 0639967500 from Italy
• write an e-mail to gan-aar.comunicazione@cultura.gov.it.

Accessibility

Entry is guaranteed for people with reduced mobility due to the lack of architectural barriers. On-site parking for people with reduced mobility is also possible. Accompanying guide dogs are allowed for visually impaired people or in general after presentation of a pet therapy certificate.

Various information

• Audio guides available in Italian, English, French and Spanish included in the exhibition ticket
• Suitcases, trolleys and large luggage are not allowed so they must be deposited at the checkroom with umbrellas and other bulky bags.
• Customized guided tours can be arranged in advance and by reservation only
• There are bookshops with catalogs and gadgets dedicated to Caravaggio

Don’t wait, secure your admission now and purchase your ticket for the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition here.

Caravaggio: life and artistic revolution

ID 81431918 © Vkilikov | Dreamstime.com

To fully understand the greatness of this exhibition, you need to know more about the personal history of Michelangelo Merisi, known universally as Caravaggio. Born in 1571, probably in Milan or the small Lombard village from which he took his name, he had a short, intense and troubled existence.

Caravaggio lost his father and most of his family as a child during a plague epidemic. After an initial training in the Milanese workshop of Simone Peterzano, an artist and pupil of Titian, he came to Rome in 1595 in search of fortune. Here he experienced difficult times, initially earning money by painting still lifes and floral details in the workshop of the painter Cavalier d’Arpino.

His talent quickly exploded through encounters with influential figures such as Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, his first major patron and patron. For Del Monte, Caravaggio produced works such as I Musici and I Bari, characterized by lively painting and realistic details.

The real turning point came with the painting cycle dedicated to St. Matthew in the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi, where his canvases scandalized the public for the extreme realism with which he depicted sacred figures and common characters. From that moment, Caravaggio began an artistic revolution that profoundly marked Baroque art and European painting.

It was he who introduced into painting the technique of chiaroscuro, with sharp contrasts between light and shadow. He painted without preparatory drawings, using real people as models, often taken directly from the street. Callused hands, dirty feet and faces marked by fatigue became the protagonists of immortal canvases such as Judith and Holofernes or the dramatic Martyrdom of St. Ursula.

His turbulent life was marked by conflict, duels and even murder. In 1606, following the murder of Ranuccio Tomassoni, Caravaggio was forced to leave Rome to escape capital punishment. The painter spent troubled years, between Naples, Malta and Sicily, continuing to create extraordinary masterpieces despite a life as a fugitive.

He died tragically in 1610, aged only thirty-nine, while desperately trying to return to Rome to obtain a papal pardon. His end, still shrouded in mystery, has fueled legends that have made him a modern myth.

Palazzo Barberini, the venue for the exhibition

When you visit the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition, you will also enter one of the most beautiful and significant palaces in Rome: Palazzo Barberini. This building is not only a spectacular setting for the works on display, but it represents a true symbol of the artistic patronage of the Barberini family, among the most influential of seventeenth-century Rome.

Palazzo Barberini was designed by great architects such as Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Walking through its halls, you will have the opportunity to observe the famous Barberini coat of arms, composed of three golden bees, a symbol of the family’s industriousness and greatness.

The building was commissioned by Maffeo Barberini, who in 1623 became pope under the name Urban VIII. A refined man and art lover, Maffeo was also among the main patrons of Caravaggio. To his figure is dedicated the exceptional Portrait of Maffeo Barberini, among the masterpieces on display in this exhibition, now finally on view after decades of absence.

Another key figure linked to Palazzo Barberini was Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, the first and fundamental patron of the young Caravaggio, who introduced him to Roman artistic circles.

Want to learn more about the historical events of this magnificent palace? Read the article on the history of Palazzo Barberini.

Caravaggio exhibition: works on display

The Caravaggio 2025 exhibition brings together an exceptional selection of 24 masterpieces, some of which are rarely on public view. It is a unique opportunity to admire the works of the Lombard genius up close and discover hidden details that tell of his extraordinary technique and revolutionary realism.

Here are some of the most anticipated works in the exhibition:

The Portrait of Maffeo Barberini

Portrait of Maffeo Barberini – Photo by Wikipedia

A never-before-seen work that has resurfaced after more than sixty years of oblivion. It is the portrait of Maffeo Barberini, future Pope Urban VIII, a key figure in the artistic landscape of the 17th century. The painting, from a private collection, is being exhibited for the first time alongside other works by Caravaggio, allowing a never-before-seen comparison of his portrait style.

The Ecce Homo

ID 153240628 © Mihail Ivanov | Dreamstime.com

This canvas is the protagonist of one of the most incredible stories in recent art: attributed for years to an unknown painter of the school of Jusepe de Ribera, it has only recently been recognized as an authentic Caravaggio. Today it is kept at the Prado Museum in Madrid, but for this exhibition it will return to Italy after centuries.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Photos from Wikipedia

Another extraordinary return: the Saint Catherine from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, which once belonged to the Barberini collection. The painting depicts the saint with a face full of humanity, and is a rare example of Caravaggio’s sensibility in portraying sacred figures with real faces.

Martha and Magdalene

From the Detroit Institute of Arts, this canvas depicts an intense moment of conversion and introspection. The model used by Caravaggio is probably the same as in Judith and Holofernes, which is preserved in Palazzo Barberini itself.

Saint John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist – Photo by Wikipedia

On display will be several versions of this subject: one from the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, another from the Capitoline Museums, and the one preserved at Galleria Corsini. This comparison will allow visitors to observe how Caravaggio reinterpreted the theme through the light and physicality of the models.

Saint Francis in Ecstasy

Loaned from the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, this is one of the most poignant images of the saint, immersed in a dimension of mystical ecstasy rendered through a powerful use of chiaroscuro.

The Bari

I Bari – Photo by Wikipedia

Coming from the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, this painting is one of the first masterpieces that made Caravaggio known to Roman collectors. The scene is an extraordinary example of visual storytelling, with minute details revealing the tension of gambling.

Martyrdom of Saint Ursula

Last work created by Caravaggio, shortly before his death. The painting comes from the Gallerie d’Italia – Intesa Sanpaolo and depicts with rawness and drama the moment of the killing of the saint.

In addition to these masterpieces, the exhibition itinerary will also include Judith and Holofernes, Narcissus and many other iconic works, in an arrangement designed to bring the master’s different creative phases into dialogue.

Rare works and exceptional loans

One of the elements that makes Caravaggio 2025 a must-see exhibition is the extraordinary presence of works rarely seen by the public. Some paintings are loans from major international museums, while others come from private collections, making them a unique opportunity to admire them live.

Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto

Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto – Photo by Wikipedia

Among the absolute rarities of the exhibition is the Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, a fresco painted in about 1597 inside the Casino dell’Aurora at Villa Ludovisi in Rome. It is the only wall painting attributed to Caravaggio and is not normally accessible to the public. The work, commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, depicts an alchemical allegory with the three Olympian gods and their respective symbols: Jupiter (air and sulfur), Neptune (water and mercury) and Pluto (earth and salt).

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

St. Catherine’s – Photo by Wikipedia

Another outstanding loan is the Saint Catherine of Alexandria from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. This painting, which originally belonged to the Barberini family, was sold abroad during the Fascist period. Now, after nearly 100 years, it finally returns to the rooms that once housed it.

A comparison of the two portraits by Maffeo Barberini

One of the most fascinating new features of the exhibition is the previously unseen comparison of two portraits of Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII. One was recently rediscovered and belongs to a private collection (the Italian state is negotiating its purchase), while the other comes from the Princes Corsini of Florence. For the first time, these two portraits are being exhibited side by side, offering a new perspective on how Caravaggio portrayed his illustrious patron.

The three paintings commissioned by Ottavio Costa, reunited after 400 years

Judith and Holofernes – Photo by Wikipedia

Banker Ottavio Costa, among Caravaggio’s leading collectors, commissioned three masterpieces from the Lombard painter:

• Judith and Holofernes (Palazzo Barberini)
• Saint John the Baptist (Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City)
• Saint Francis in Ecstasy (Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford)

These three paintings, separated by more than four centuries, will finally be brought together in this exhibition, allowing a direct comparison of subjects, techniques and colors.

The loan of The Martyrdom of St. Ursula

Considered Caravaggio’s last painting, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula arrives from the Gallerie d’Italia – Intesa Sanpaolo. Created in 1610, shortly before his death, it is a work that expresses all the drama and emotional tension typical of his last canvases.

This selection of works makes the exhibition a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with masterpieces that are unlikely to be brought together again in the future.

Thematic sections of the exhibition

The Caravaggio 2025 exhibition is organized into four thematic sections, designed to take you through the master’s different artistic phases and his impact on Baroque painting. Each section will allow you to discover the evolution of his style, from his early experiments to the masterpieces of his maturity.

The Roman beginnings and the protection of Cardinal Del Monte

The first section is devoted to Caravaggio’s early years in Rome, when he moved to the city around 1595 and began to make a name for himself through the protection of Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte.

• Here we find some of Caravaggio’s early masterpieces, such as The Musicians (Metropolitan Museum, New York) and The Bari (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth), which already show his incredible talent for realism and dramatic composition.
• At this stage, Caravaggio developed his genre painting, painting scenes of everyday life with an astonishing attention to detail and eye candy.

The great commissions and the revolution of the sacred

With success came large commissions for Roman churches. Caravaggio moved away from small genre paintings and devoted himself to religious subjects, but with a completely new vision.

• This section explores how Caravaggio redefined sacred iconography, using models taken from the street and a brutal realism that scandalized his contemporaries.
• Works exhibited in this part of the tour include The Capture of Christ (National Gallery, Dublin) and Saint Francis in Ecstasy (Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford).

The period of exile and the last production

In 1606, after killing Ranuccio Tomassoni, Caravaggio was forced to flee Rome. From then on, his life becomes a continuous shift between Naples, Malta, Sicily and Naples again.

• The paintings of this period become even more dramatic, with exaggerated contrasts of light and unprecedented emotional intensity.
• In this section we find masterpieces such as Martyrdom of St. Ursula (Gallerie d’Italia – Intesa Sanpaolo), one of the last paintings made by the master, and Portrait of the Knight of Malta (Palazzo Pitti, Florence).

Caravaggio and his legacy

The last section of the exhibition is devoted to international loans and works that tell the story of Caravaggio’s collecting.

• Here are rarely exhibited works, such as the Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, the only fresco executed by Caravaggio, and the recently rediscovered Portrait of Maffeo Barberini.
• This part of the exhibition allows visitors to see paintings brought together for the first time in centuries, such as the three works commissioned by banker Ottavio Costa: Judith and Holofernes, St. John the Baptist and St. Francis in Ecstasy.

Corsini Gallery and the connection to Caravaggio

In addition to Palazzo Barberini, the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition also involves another jewel of Roman art: the Corsini Gallery. Located in the heart of Trastevere, this historic collection is one of the last examples of an eighteenth-century picture gallery that has remained intact and holds masterpieces by artists such as Rubens, Reni and Murillo. But the connection to Caravaggio is particularly interesting.

A never-before-seen comparison of the St. John the Baptist

One of the most fascinating elements of the exhibition is the comparison of different versions of St. John the Baptist, one of Caravaggio’s most iconic subjects.

• Saint John the Baptist from the Corsini Gallery: This work, attributed to Caravaggio, shows the saint in an unprecedented pensive and melancholy guise.
• St. John the Baptist from the Nelson-Atkins Museum (Kansas City): A powerful and dramatic painting, with the saint bathed in intense chiaroscuro.
• Saint John the Baptist from the Capitoline Museums: Another version that emphasizes the physicality and strength of the young saint.

This direct comparison allows us to observe how Caravaggio reinterpreted the same theme in different ways, using different models and experimenting with light and shadow.

Curators and critical insights

The exhibition Caravaggio 2025 is not just an exhibition event, but an opportunity to delve into new research and discoveries about the Lombard master. Curating the project are three of Caravaggio’s leading experts:

Francesca Cappelletti – Director of the Galleria Borghese, a great scholar of Merisi and his collecting fortune.

Maria Cristina Terzaghi – Art historian and professor atRoma Tre University, author of numerous studies on the painter and the Caravaggesque art market.

Thomas Clement Salomon – Director of the National Galleries of Ancient Art, responsible for important research on the Italian Baroque.

An innovative critical approach

This exhibition is not just an exhibition of paintings, but an in-depth reflection on Caravaggio’s role in the artistic landscape of his time. It is designed to show the artist’s different creative phases and to highlight new attributions, stylistic comparisons and the history of collecting his works.

Among the exhibition’s most innovative insights are:

• The never-before-seen comparison of the two portraits of Maffeo Barberini, to better understand the relationship between Caravaggio and the future Pope Urban VIII.
• Ananalysis of painting technique through recent restorations, which have revealed hidden details in works such asEcce Homo, the Martyrdom of St. Ursula and St. Catherine.
• A study of early copies and workshop replicas, helping to better distinguish autograph works from uncertain attributions.

The official exhibition catalog

Accompanying the exhibition is a catalog published by Marsilio Arte, which brings together critical studies, new research and essays signed by some of the leading international experts. The volume will explore Caravaggio’s stylistic evolution, his impact on Baroque painting and his connections with patrons of the time.

Caravaggio in the contemporary imagination

Caravaggio is not only a master of the past. His influence extends to the present day, inspiring artists, photographers, filmmakers, and designers with his revolutionary style and incredible use of light.

A visual language that is still relevant today

Caravaggio’s art is characterized by a powerful and dramatic realism that makes his works strikingly modern. His way of depicting reality through chiaroscuro has influenced generations of artists, from Rembrandt and Velázquez to masters of photography and film such as Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick.

Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro is everywhere, from film noir posters to music album covers, and his realism has inspired street photography and photojournalism, bringing an emotional intensity to images similar to that of his canvases. Filmmakers such as Derek Jarman and Pier Paolo Pasolini have drawn heavily on his aesthetic, recreating Caravaggesque atmospheres in their films.

The icon of the cursed genius

Caravaggio’s troubled life, marked by duels, escapes and a mysterious death, has made him an icon of the rebellious genius. His myth has been fueled by novels, TV series and exhibitions chronicling his existence on the borderline between genius and damnation. Contemporary artists such as Banksy and David LaChapelle have reinterpreted his works with a pop and provocative style while his figure is also featured in novels and graphic novels, such as Andrea Camilleri ‘s The Color of the Sun and Milo Manara‘s Caravaggio.

Conclusion

The Caravaggio 2025 exhibition is more than just an exhibition-it is a unique journey into the heart of the artistic revolution of one of the most beloved and studied painters of all time.

At Palazzo Barberini, you will have the opportunity to admire 24 extraordinary masterpieces, some never before exhibited, and to discover the most authentic and experimental Caravaggio, the one who changed Baroque painting forever.

If you are an art lover or simply curious to see live works that have made history, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only will you be able to enjoy a selection of exceptional paintings, but also discover new research, never-before-seen comparisons, and rarely accessible works.

Don’t miss this unmissable exhibition! Book your admission now and get ready for an unforgettable experience in the footsteps of Caravaggio‘s genius.