Caravaggio in Rome: where to see his paintings, church by church

Rome is Caravaggio's city: he lived here from 1592 to about 1606, painted his greatest masterpieces here, and it is here that he killed a man and had to flee. More than twenty of his canvases can still be seen in the city, including three churches in the centre where you can admire them for free, hung in the place for which they were painted. This guide sorts them by location, says where entry is free and where you must book, and how to link them on foot in one day or two mornings. The hours below are the usual hours: check them before you leave, because churches close in the middle of the day.

Caravaggio in Rome at a glance: where to go first

If you have only half a day, see the three churches in the centre: they are free, close to Piazza Navona and Piazza del Popolo, and hold six paintings. If you have a full day, add the Galleria Borghese, which holds six of the painter's canvases and requires a compulsory booking.

Place	Caravaggio paintings	Entry
San Luigi dei Francesi	Three canvases of St Matthew	Free
Santa Maria del Popolo	Conversion of St Paul, Crucifixion of St Peter	Free
Sant'Agostino	Madonna of the Pilgrims (Madonna di Loreto)	Free
Galleria Borghese	Six canvases, including David with the Head of Goliath	Paid, booking compulsory
Galleria Doria Pamphilj	Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Penitent Magdalene	Paid
Palazzo Barberini	Judith Beheading Holofernes	Paid
Capitoline Museums	The Fortune Teller, St John the Baptist	Paid
Vatican Museums	The Entombment	Paid
Galleria Corsini	St John the Baptist (attributed)	Paid

San Luigi dei Francesi: three paintings in one chapel

The Calling of St Matthew, 1599-1600

This is the essential stop. The Contarelli Chapel, in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, holds the Calling of St Matthew (1599-1600), his Martyrdom (1600-1601) and St Matthew and the Angel (1602). These were the painter's first public commissions and the ones that made his reputation. The light falling on the scenes echoes that of the real chapel, and the Calling is one of the best-known paintings in the history of art. Bring a coin for the chapel lighting, otherwise the canvases are very dark.

The church is 3 minutes from Piazza Navona. It is open during the day with a break in the middle of the day; entry is free.

Sant'Agostino: the Madonna of the Pilgrims

Two minutes from San Luigi dei Francesi, the church of Sant'Agostino (piazza di Sant'Agostino) holds the Madonna of the Pilgrims (about 1604-1606), in the first chapel on the left. Two pilgrims with dirty feet kneel before the Virgin standing at her door, which shocked people at the time. The painting is in a side chapel, often lit by a coin. Entry is free; the church closes in the middle of the day.

The Madonna of the Pilgrims at Sant'Agostino

Santa Maria del Popolo: the Cerasi Chapel

The Crucifixion of St Peter, about 1600-1601

On Piazza del Popolo, the basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo keeps in the Cerasi Chapel, to the left of the choir, two paintings made in 1600-1601: the Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St Peter. They flank an altarpiece by Annibale Carracci, the Assumption. The scene of Peter, being turned upside down, is one of the painter's darkest pictures. This church too sometimes asks for a coin for the lighting, and its hours include a break in the middle of the day.

The Galleria Borghese: six Caravaggios and a booking

The Galleria Borghese, in the Villa Borghese, owns six canvases by Caravaggio: the Boy with a Basket of Fruit, the Sick Bacchus, the Madonna dei Palafrenieri, St Jerome, St John the Baptist and David with the Head of Goliath, where Goliath's face is said to be a self-portrait of the painter. These paintings are in the same building as Bernini's sculptures, which makes it the richest visit. Booking is compulsory and visits last two hours: for current hours and prices, read the gallery's page.

The Boy with a Basket of Fruit, about 1593-1594

The palaces: Doria Pamphilj, Barberini, Corsini

In the palace of the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, on the Corso, two early paintings by the artist, the Rest on the Flight into Egypt and the Penitent Magdalene (about 1596-1597), hang with the great masters of the collection. At the Palazzo Barberini, Judith Beheading Holofernes (about 1599) is one of the painter's most violent pictures. In Trastevere, the Galleria Corsini shows a St John the Baptist attributed to Caravaggio; check before you go.

The Capitoline and Vatican museums

In the picture gallery of the Capitoline Museums, the Fortune Teller (about 1594) and the St John the Baptist known as "with the ram" are shown among other 17th-century paintings. In the Vatican Museums, the picture gallery holds the Entombment (1602-1604), painted for the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella. If you are already visiting these museums, these paintings need no extra ticket.

A walking route: two mornings

Morning 1, historic centre: San Luigi dei Francesi, then Sant'Agostino, ending with a coffee on Piazza Navona or near the Pantheon. Everything takes under an hour and a half on foot.
Morning 2, Borghese and Piazza del Popolo: Santa Maria del Popolo at opening time, then the climb to the Villa Borghese and the gallery, with a booked slot.
Extras: the Capitoline Hill, Palazzo Barberini or Doria Pamphilj, depending on your time.

Going further

For other masterpieces, read our article on Bernini and Borromini and our guide to the churches to visit in Rome. Think of the dress code for entering churches, and of a historic café between two stops.