Italy Secures Caravaggio Portrait for €30 Million
Updated Published Cached
State purchase sets record price for artwork – Italy bought a Caravaggio painting for €30 million (£25.9 million), marking one of the highest sums the government has ever spent on a single artwork [1].
Portrait depicts future Pope Urban VIII – The work shows cleric Monsignor Maffeo Barberini, who became Pope Urban VIII in 1623, and the culture minister called it “exceptional importance” [1].
From private collection to public display – Previously held in a private Florentine collection, the painting was first shown publicly in Rome in 2024 and has now been placed in the permanent collection of the Palazzo Barberini, the historic home of the Barberini family [1].
Rare Caravaggio portrait from c. 1598 – Caravaggio, known for his chiaroscuro technique, produced about 65 surviving works, only three of which are portraits; this piece, painted around 1598, depicts Barberini with a bearded face and an outstretched hand [1].
Minister frames acquisition as heritage protection – Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said the purchase is part of a broader project to strengthen national cultural heritage and prevent masterpieces from disappearing into the private market, aiming to keep them accessible to scholars and enthusiasts [1].
Giuli thanks staff for successful acquisition – He also expressed gratitude to the institutions, officials, and technicians whose skill and dedication made the purchase possible [1].
- Alessandro Giuli, Culture Minister – Stated the acquisition “is part of a broader project to strengthen the national cultural heritage… making some art history masterpieces accessible to scholars and enthusiasts that would otherwise be destined for the private market.”
- Alessandro Giuli, Culture Minister – Added, “I would like to thank all the institutions, officials, and technicians who have worked with great skill and dedication to achieve such an important result.”