Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Sant' Agostino
- San Luigi dei Francesi
- Galleria Doria Pamphilij
Photos & Highlights
- Join an engaging, local expert at the top of their field in art history as you explore fundamental art concepts that define Caravaggio's place in history
- Unique, personal tours for the intentional traveler. Choose from private tours for just you and your party, or join a small group tour with other travelers.
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Tour Description
Italian painter, Michelangelo Merisi (1573-1610), better known as Caravaggio, left an indelible mark on the world of art—especially in Rome, which fortunately contains a large selection of his works. Many know him as one of the most controversial artists of all time, who fled the city after committing murder, but his art stands alone in its quality and originality.
Caravaggio's influence led to the start of the Italian Baroque era. This three-hour Caravaggio tour of Rome, led by an art historian, explores the nature of Caravaggio's art in the context of its time, in order to fully understand his innovation and the controversy surrounding him.
Caravaggio's influence led to the start of the Italian Baroque era. This three-hour Caravaggio tour of Rome, led by an art historian, explores the nature of Caravaggio's art in the context of its time, in order to fully understand his innovation and the controversy surrounding him.
Experts
Traveller Testimonials
Compelling Storytelling
A tremendous storyteller, our guide was able to put Caravaggio’s life into the context of his time. It felt as though she personally knew him!
- Kathy D.
- Kathy D.
New Discoveries
As we walked through galleries, churches and palaces, our guide was able to share information about all of it. He also took us to a church and a private museum we never would have found on our own.
- Jean C.
- Jean C.
Academic Knowledge and Personal Experience
We will treasure this experience for a lifetime. The level of historical detail and personal insight that our guide shared with us in front of each of Caravaggio's paintings brought them to such vivid life that I am still dreaming about it all!
- Jonathan G.
- Jonathan G.
Your walk takes you through the same city streets—largely unchanged—that Caravaggio inhabited in the 1600s, a lively and sometimes dangerous landscape from which he drew inspiration and (controversially) models for his work. You will see the exterior of a small house, still standing, where Caravaggio lived and had his studio. Your guide will bring you to Sant'Agostino church, known for its Renaissance architecture. Here you will explore how Caravaggio's art demonstrated a radical spirituality that appealed to the lower classes. A stop at San Luigi dei Francesi will allow you to view Caravaggio's stunning series on Saint Matthew, his first publicly commissioned altarpiece painting, which demonstrates his revolutionary use of tenebroso or tenebrisimo, the strong interplay of light and dark.
To conclude your deep dive into Caravaggio's legacy, your guide will take you on an exploration of the Doria Pamphili Gallery to experience some of the earliest works by Caravaggio, considered to be among the most important works of art in the world. Dating to the late 1590s, they offer a glimpse into the development of the artist's style. Here you will observe large paintings characterized by dramatic use of light and shadow, realistic depiction of human figures and emotional intensity. Considered to be among the most important works of art in the world, they are a testament to the artist's genius and lasting influence on Western art.
To conclude your deep dive into Caravaggio's legacy, your guide will take you on an exploration of the Doria Pamphili Gallery to experience some of the earliest works by Caravaggio, considered to be among the most important works of art in the world. Dating to the late 1590s, they offer a glimpse into the development of the artist's style. Here you will observe large paintings characterized by dramatic use of light and shadow, realistic depiction of human figures and emotional intensity. Considered to be among the most important works of art in the world, they are a testament to the artist's genius and lasting influence on Western art.
- You want to discover the stories and insights behind Caravaggio's famous paintings
- You like to connect with fellow art enthusiasts and share your passion
- You want to satisfy your thirst for knowledge while immersing yourself in the history of the city
- Sant' Agostino – Church of Renaissance architecture, home to Caravaggio's "The Madonna of the Pilgrims.”
- San Luigi dei Francesi – Church that houses Caravaggio's series on Saint Matthew.
- Doria Pamphilj Gallery – 17th-century palace known for its unique private collection housing Caravaggio's "The Rest on the Flight into Egypt" and "The Penitent Mary Magdalene."
Tickets
- Upon receiving your order, our team will secure a guide. You are pre-paid, your guide will purchase your entry ticket for the Doria Pamphilj Gallery on-site.
Resources
- Want to see more Caravaggio? Try our Borghese Gallery Tour: A Guided Crash Course with Skip-the-Line Tickets.
- To see more of the Baroque era in Context, try our Rome Baroque Tour: Art and Architecture of Bernini and Borromoni or our Naples Art Tour: Caravaggio and the Baroque.
- Check out our online lectures, which transport you back to Ancient Rome, presented by a leading Context Expert.
Wheelchair accessibility
- No access for clients with mobility issues due to stairs, and no wheelchairs available for rent at Sant'Agostino or San Luigi dei Francesi.
- There is access for wheelchairs at the Doria Pamphilj Gallery, but not all parts of the building are easily accessible by those using wheelchairs and elevator use might not be available at all times.
Service Dogs
- Service dogs are allowed if you have a medical certificate proving the need.
- For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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227 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
The content of the tour was fantastic - very accessible though not at all patronising (even for those of us with a strong art history background). We loved Lauren's quotations which she had collated over the years in a little notebook, but which added historical voices to the information she herself was providing about Caravaggio and each painting. The pace of the tour worked beautifully too. Not too brief at each location, and plenty of time to delve deep in to the significance of each painting.
Sarah
Reviewed on:
May 12, 2015
Taking us to 3 churches was an excellent use of the time and resources available. It would have been difficult for me to even identify the churches with major works by Caravaggio on my own. And the in-depth information Lauran provided was outstanding.
My partner had injured her knee and was unable to walk comfortably. Lauran went "above and beyond" to help her participate fully in the tour while minimzing walking (and without impacting the other tour participants).
Philip
Reviewed on:
May 9, 2015
The places to view Caravaggio's works were well chosen......there is a bit of walking to get from one venue to the next and since the tour isn't very long, makes it difficult to get lots of information "on the fly" as it were. Caravaggio is a favorite of mine so I was familiar with his story and most of the works we visited, I had seen and read a little about in articles. So the time walking to the next church was "down-time"......can't walk single file down Rome streets with a group of six to eight people and impart information. Lauren was a big fan of Caravaggio so she was well versed in her subject. She was a little dramatic for my husband (thought she lost her glasses a couple of times which was a little distracting).
The criticism I would give of her as a docent was in the church, San Luigi dei Francesi, where the St. Matthew "cycle" is located......which is such a magnificent group of paintings..... she prefaced her remarks by saying she felt it was better to see them in the natural light in the church rather than spend one's time feeding euros into the light box. Well, that might work if it weren't so dark in the church, perhaps a cloudy day and maybe the paintings have darkened over time. Anyway, if one flies to Italy and has a particular interest in Caravaggio, it seems astonishing to not be able to "see" the paintings. Luckily there were others in other groups who did put euros in the light box and whenever that happened, our guide seemed to take advantage of the illumination. I was scrambling for euros in my purse so I could see, trying to listen to the good information Lauren was giving but was a little frustrated, at the same time not wanting to not abide by her wishes. Really, it is just too dark in that church to see the gorgeous paintings without good lighting.
Jan
Reviewed on:
May 5, 2015
