'Caravaggio 2025' already selling out fast in Rome

One of the most comprehensive exhibitions ever dedicated to Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio, is currently open at Palazzo Barberini in Rome — and tickets are selling out fast.

Comprised of 24 works spanning just over a decade of the artist’s career, the exhibition includes prestigious loans from private and public collections worldwide, with some paintings being displayed in Italy for the first time.

Among the highlights is the Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini, which made its public exhibition debut just months ago, alongside well-known masterpieces like Self-Portrait as Bacchus.

Coinciding with the Catholic Jubilee year, which will bring thousands of pilgrims to Rome and the Vatican, the exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore new discoveries about the artist.

But according to Thomas Clement Salomon, the Director of Palazzo Barberini, what sets the show apart is not just the number of works but their sheer quality, and the care with which they've been selected to showcase the essence of Caravaggio’s style.

“At the heart of his work is his own life — the people he loved, the men, the women, his companions,” said Salomon, in an interview with Euronews. “Caravaggio was able to capture the most intimate aspects of the human soul with unparalleled emotional depth.”

While Caravaggio was recognised later than some of his contemporaries, he is today one of the most studied artists in the world. His realistic style, marked by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, makes his work both accessible and deeply engaging for both scholars and the general public.

The exhibition has already been an overwhelming success, drawing visitors from around the world.

“In just 20 days since opening, we have already sold 240,000 tickets,” said Salomon. “Caravaggio’s style feels remarkably contemporary — he painted life-sized figures, using natural, dark, and unadorned backdrops.”

Visitors share Salomon's enthusiasm.

“It’s exactly what I was expecting,” said one Italian woman. “It's amazing I’ve seen Caravaggio’s works before, but seeing them all together is breathtaking.”

An Australian admirer of the artist said he appreciates Caravaggio's exceptional ability to convey deep emotions.

“His works are dramatic and intense," he said. "The figures are tightly grouped, and the use of light and dark makes his art very accessible."

The visitors' love for Caravaggio is intense, and the sellout crowds in the exhibition's four rooms do not deter them.

The exhibition runs until 6 July — and with tickets for the next few weeks already sold out, anyone hoping to attend will need to move fast.