Caravaggio. Il Ritratto di monsignor Maffeo Barberini (Caravaggio. Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini)

As part of the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Republic, the Chapter Hall of Palazzo della Minerva in Rome - before its final transfer to the collections of the National Galleries of Ancient Art in Palazzo Barberini - is hosting Caravaggio's Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini, a work recently acquired by the Italian State for 30 million euros and on display with free admission and no reservation required from May 28 to June 21, 2026.

The painting depicts Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII, around thirty years old, dressed as a cleric of the Apostolic Chamber, at a time when his ecclesiastical career was still in full swing. Scholarly tradition generally dates it to around 1599, a period in which Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, already established on the Roman scene, developed his most recognizable language, based on the essentiality of composition, the strength of gesture, and the calibrated use of light.

The figure of the prelate emerges from the shadows thanks to the characteristic grazing light, typical of Caravaggio's style, which highlights his face; his eyes, made vivid by a slight squint, gaze directly at the viewer. The monsignor is depicted seated in a three-quarter view on a diagonally placed armchair and wearing a green-toned headdress and cassock. The dynamism of the composition is underscored by the contrast between his hands: while the left hand clutches a folded letter, the right hand makes a sudden gesture, seemingly directed toward an invisible interlocutor positioned outside the pictorial space. In the foreground, a roll of documents tied with a velvet cord serves as the work's perspective fulcrum.

The exhibition reconnects a deep historical connection with the Senate's sites: during his Roman years, Caravaggio lived with Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who resided in Palazzo Madama, and frequented the area between Piazza Madama, Piazza Navona, and San Luigi dei Francesi. So much so that the canvas is also referenced in archival sources documenting Caravaggio's presence in that urban and social context.

Photo: official poster of the exhibition