Caravaggio 2025 Exhibition at Palazzo Barberini

Discover the artistic genius of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio through one of the most ambitious exhibitions ever dedicated to the revolutionary master. From March 7 to July 20, 2025, Palazzo Barberini hosts an extraordinary collection of 24 autograph paintings, revealing the power and modernity of one of history's greatest painters.

Exhibition Overview

The Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica presents this exceptional exhibition in collaboration with Galleria Borghese and the Italian Ministry of Culture. Coinciding with the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, this exhibition brings together celebrated masterpieces alongside lesser-known but equally significant works. Visitors discover the artistic and cultural revolution that Caravaggio injected into the religious and social landscape of his time.

Featured Masterpieces

The exhibition showcases remarkable works including the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini, making its first public appearance in over sixty years. Visitors can also view the Ecce Homo from Madrid's Museo Nacional del Prado, returning to Italy for the first time in centuries.

Other exceptional highlights include Saint Catherine of Alexandria from Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, once part of the Barberini collections and now returning home. Martha and Mary Magdalene from Detroit Institute of Arts displays the same model featured in Judith and Holofernes, housed at Palazzo Barberini.

Three paintings commissioned by banker Ottavio Costa reunite for this special exhibition: Judith and Holofernes from Palazzo Barberini, Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness from Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum, and Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy from Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum.

Essential Visitor Information

Dates and Hours

• Exhibition runs from March 7 to July 20, 2025 (extended from original July 6 closing date)
• Monday-Wednesday: 9 AM - 10 PM
• Thursday-Sunday: 9 AM - 12 PM
• Monday mornings reserved for schools and groups
• Closed July 9
• "The Musicians" from Metropolitan Museum of New York available only until July 10
  
  

Location and Transportation

Palazzo Barberini is located at via delle Quattro Fontane, 13 in Rome. Visitors can easily reach the venue using public transportation.

Metro: Line A, Barberini stop

Bus routes: 53, 61, 62, 63, 80, 81, 83, 160, 492, 590

Ticket Information

Reservations are mandatory and tickets are nominative. An audioguide is included with every ticket purchase.

• Full ticket: €18
• Reduced (ages 18-25): €15
• Reduced (Gallerie Nazionali Pass holders): €12
• Combined ticket (exhibition + permanent collection): €25 (valid 20 days for both Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini)
• Combined reduced (ages 18-25): €17
• Free admission for visitors under 18 and EU students with valid ID
  
  

Practical Tips for Visitors

The exhibition offers full accessibility with barrier-free entrances. Visitors must check handbags, backpacks, and umbrellas in the mandatory cloakroom. Strollers are not permitted in the exhibition space but can be stored in designated areas outside the museum.

Groups of 10-25 people must use radio-transmitter systems during visits, available for €2 each. Guide dogs accompanying visually impaired visitors are welcome, while other pets require pet therapy certificates.

Private Tours and Special Events

Exclusive visits and private events can be organized through the exhibition team. Contact caravaggio2025.eventi@cultura.gov.it for information and booking details.

Why This Exhibition Matters

This groundbreaking exhibition explores Caravaggio's innovation within the artistic context of his time. Palazzo Barberini provides the perfect setting, symbolizing the connection between the artist and his influential patrons. Visitors gain new insights into how Caravaggio revolutionized painting through his dramatic use of light and shadow, psychological realism, and unprecedented emotional intensity.

The exhibition concludes with The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, Caravaggio's final painting completed shortly before his death, on loan from Intesa Sanpaolo. This powerful work represents the culmination of the artist's brief but transformative career.

Book your tickets early, as this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition is selling out rapidly. Don't miss your chance to experience the genius of Caravaggio in one of Rome's most magnificent baroque palaces.

For official information, tickets, and updates, visit the official Caravaggio 2025 exhibition website.

*** Photo Credits: https://caravaggio2025.barberinicorsini.org/en/