Rome, March 7, 2025 – The Europe Today: A landmark exhibition showcasing 24 masterpieces by the renowned Baroque artist Caravaggio opens today at Palazzo Barberini in Rome, running until July 6. The exhibit, titled Caravaggio 2025, has already sold 60,000 tickets in advance and is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Curated by Francesca Cappelletti, Maria Cristina Terzaghi, and Thomas Clement Salomon, the exhibition presents some of Caravaggio’s most iconic works, including the recently discovered Portrait of Maffeo Barberini, which was revealed only a few months ago. Among the highlights is Ecce Homo, currently housed at Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, which returns to Italy for the first time in four centuries. Additionally, two versions of St. John the Baptist will be displayed side by side for the first time.
Other masterpieces featured in the exhibit include Saint Catherine of Alexandria from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, originally part of the Barberini collection, and Martha and Mary Magdalene from the Detroit Institute of Arts.
“Each painting by Caravaggio is a star, and each loan is an extradition,” said Thomas Clement Salomon, director of Palazzo Barberini. He described the exhibition as a long-cherished “dream” realized in just one year.
Francesca Cappelletti, director of the Borghese Gallery, emphasized the significance of the exhibit, particularly the inclusion of David with the Head of Goliath, describing the collection as featuring “exceptional loans.”
As part of the Jubilee Year celebrations, visitors will also have the rare opportunity to view Caravaggio’s only mural painting, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto (1597), at the Casino dell’Aurora. The exhibition promises an unparalleled experience for art enthusiasts and scholars alike.
