Roma palazzo odescalchi caravaggio biography facts

There are few artists in history who inspire intrigue quite like Caravaggio. The mysterious, misunderstood, and occasionally murderous Caravaggio lived most of his working life in Rome. Many of his revolutionary paintings are still here. Michelangelo Merisi, the man who would become the famed but troubled artist Caravaggio, was born on 29 September in Caravaggio, a small Lombard town in the province of Bergamo.

Roma palazzo odescalchi caravaggio biography facts: The original core of the palace

At the age of 13, Caravaggio began an apprenticeship in painting under Simone Peterzano in Milan. In the ensuing years, Caravaggio honed his artistic technique. But, being a teenager, he was also lured by the violent street life of the big city. In , Caravaggio fled to Rome to escape accusations of murder. This was the first of two murder accusations to be levied against him over the course of his short life.

He also went to Rome to find his fortune. Caravaggio started out as a workshop painter and then began to get commissions that other artists had already passed on. By , Caravaggio was the most famous painter in Rome and worked steadily for the next several years.