From March 7 to July 6, 2025, in celebration of Jubilee 2025, the National Galleries of Ancient Art, in collaboration with the Galleria Borghese and with the support of the Directorate-General for Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Main Partner Intesa Sanpaolo, proudly present Caravaggio 2025 at Palazzo Barberini.
Curated by Francesca Cappelletti, Maria Cristina Terzaghi, and Thomas Clement Salomon, this ambitious exhibition is one of the most significant tributes ever dedicated to Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio (1571–1610). Featuring an extraordinary selection of authentic masterpieces, the exhibition offers a rare journey through lesser-known works and recent discoveries, housed in one of the most historically significant locations tied to Caravaggio and his patrons.
Bringing together some of Caravaggio’s most celebrated paintings alongside lesser-known yet equally compelling works, the exhibition provides fresh insights into the artistic and cultural revolution sparked by the master. For the first time on such a grand scale, it will examine the groundbreaking innovations he introduced to the artistic, religious, and social landscape of his time.
Highlights of the Exhibition
Among the featured works is the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini, recently unveiled to the public after more than sixty years and now presented for the first time alongside other Caravaggio masterpieces. Another highlight is Ecce Homo, currently housed at the Prado Museum in Madrid, which will return to Italy for the first time in centuries. The exhibition also showcases exceptional loans such as Saint Catherine from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid—originally part of the Barberini collections and now returning to its historical home—and Martha and Mary Magdalene from the Detroit Institute of Arts, featuring the same model as Judith Beheading Holofernes, housed at Palazzo Barberini. These works will be displayed together for the first time.
The exhibition will also reunite the three paintings commissioned by banker Ottavio Costa: Judith Beheading Holofernes from Palazzo Barberini, Saint John the Baptist from the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and Saint Francis in Ecstasy from the Wadsworth Atheneum of Art in Hartford. Additionally, works linked to the Barberini collection’s history, such as The Cardsharps from the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, will return to Palazzo Barberini, where it was long preserved.
The exhibition concludes with a prestigious loan from Intesa Sanpaolo: The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, Caravaggio’s final painting, created just before his death.
Plan Your Visit
Location
Palazzo Barberini – Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13 – Rome, Italy
Public Transport:
- Bus: 53, 61, 62, 63, 80, 81, 83, 160, 492, 590
- Metro: Line A, Barberini station
Opening Hours
- Sunday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Monday: Open exclusively for organized groups
Tickets
Reservation strongly recommended. Tickets are nominal.
- Full price: €18.00
- Reduced (€15.00): Ages 18–25
- Reduced (€12.00): Holders of the National Galleries Pass and other agreements
- Reduced (€9.00): Intesa Sanpaolo employees and ALI members
- Combined ticket (€25.00): Caravaggio 2025 exhibition + admission to the National Galleries of Ancient Art (valid for 20 days from first use, including Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini)
- Reduced combined ticket (€17.00): Ages 18–25, Caravaggio 2025 exhibition + admission to the National Galleries of Ancient Art (valid for 20 days from first use, including Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini)
Free Admission for:
- Visitors under 18
- School groups and accompanying teachers from the EU (with prior reservation)
- Students and faculty of Architecture, Literature (archaeology or art history focus), Cultural Heritage Conservation, and Education Sciences
- Fine Arts Academy students
- Ministry of Culture employees
- ICOM members
- Licensed tour guides and interpreters on duty
- Journalists with a valid press card
- Visitors with disabilities and one companion
- Schoolteachers (tenured or contracted) with official certification from the Italian Ministry of Education
Accessibility
- Parking spaces available for visitors with limited mobility
- Barrier-free entrance
- Service dogs permitted for visually impaired visitors or with a certified pet therapy document
Private Visits
Private events and exclusive out-of-hours visits can be arranged. For details, contact: caravaggio2025.eventi@cultura.gov.it
Palazzo Barberini, Rome
Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13, 00184 Roma RM
March 7 – July 6, 2025
[Visit the official website]
This article is provided by Basilio 55 Rome, located just steps from Palazzo Barberini.
original article on allinrome.com
