Michelangelo Merisi, known as “Caravaggio”, was born in Milan on 29th September 1571. He became a famous painter. He painted many works for aristocrats and ecclesiastics and had a quite immoral and profligate life. In 1606 he killed Ranuccio Tomassoni in Rome in a scuffle during a royal tennis match. He was death sentenced and he escaped.
He went to Naples and he seeked refuge on Malta Island in 1607. Because his bad nature, impetuous and contentious, he had a quarrel with a knight and was imprisoned. His imprisonment did not last as he escaped and, we do not know how, reached Sicily.
After wandering in Syracuse, Messina and Palermo, he came back to Naples.
In the city he placed himself under protection of Costanza Colonna whose family was really powerful. In 1610 he left the city on a felucca and sailed to Palo Laziale to return to Rome where he would received clemency for the murder but the captain of the garrison, who probably did not know about his clemency, imprisoned Caravaggio in Palo Laziale.
He went to Naples and he seeked refuge on Malta Island in 1607. Because his bad nature, impetuous and contentious, he had a quarrel with a knight and was imprisoned. His imprisonment did not last as he escaped and, we do not know how, reached Sicily.
After wandering in Syracuse, Messina and Palermo, he came back to Naples.
In the city he placed himself under protection of Costanza Colonna whose family was really powerful. In 1610 he left the city on a felucca and sailed to Palo Laziale to return to Rome where he would received clemency for the murder but the captain of the garrison, who probably did not know about his clemency, imprisoned Caravaggio in Palo Laziale.
The felucca continued to Monte Argentario. After few days, he was released and reached the felucca in Porto Ercole, a village belonging to the State of Garrison, to take what he had left on the boat. We do not know if he walked or sailed to Monte Argentario but Caravaggio did not find the felucca that raised anchor meanwhile.
Caravaggio wanted to take his paintings, the “Saint Giovannino”, “Saint Giovanni” and the “Maddalena” because they represented his pass to give to Cardinal Scipione Borghese.
After reaching Porto Ercole, Caravaggio died on 18th July 1610. Nobody knows about his death, only some hypothesis have been made but there's no certainty about it.
His biographer, Giovanni Pietro Bellori, wrote:“Shaken for anxiety and grief, walking along the beach under the hottest summer sun, he reached Porto Ercole where he layed and died for vicious fever in few days.”
Danilo Terramoccia
Caravaggio wanted to take his paintings, the “Saint Giovannino”, “Saint Giovanni” and the “Maddalena” because they represented his pass to give to Cardinal Scipione Borghese.
After reaching Porto Ercole, Caravaggio died on 18th July 1610. Nobody knows about his death, only some hypothesis have been made but there's no certainty about it.
His biographer, Giovanni Pietro Bellori, wrote:“Shaken for anxiety and grief, walking along the beach under the hottest summer sun, he reached Porto Ercole where he layed and died for vicious fever in few days.”
Danilo Terramoccia
