- you are here: Home
- Hidden Treasures
- The mistery of Caravaggio’s body

The mistery of Caravaggio’s body
Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, which was the town in the Province of Bergamo he came from, lived a life nothing short of adventurous. In fact, it seems that on top of being a great artist - the reason his reputation has reached the present day - he was also a 'hothead'. As expected, the death of somebody regarded as a 'damned painter' could not fail to be shrouded in much mystery.
We know for certain that, in July 1610, he set off from Naples on a boat carrying three of his paintings and with these he was supposed to arrive in Porto Ercole. Mistaken for a criminal near Rome, he had to abandon his boat with his paintings and continued on foot. He reached Porto Ercole exhausted and, contrary to a long-standing belief, didn’t disappear into thin air but instead died there. Surely, the legend of the mysterious disappearance was definitely more fascinating and in line with his personality. However, there still remain two mysteries to solve: the cause of his death and the whereabouts of his body.
Establishing the cause of his death was not possible without a body to examine. But several extravagant conjectures had been brought forward: syphilis, a fatal sunstroke and, most likely, poisoning caused by paint lead. In 1956, however, bones were found during excavations in a garden in Porto Ercole, some of which are believed to belong to Caravaggio. An expert team was able to identify the artist’s remains using carbon dating and DNA testing. Was it really his body? Well... yes, more or less! There was an 85% match with the DNA of some folks from Bergamo with the same surname. Clearly there is no real scientific evidence, but people in Porto Ercole have no doubts this story corresponds to the truth. A memorial has actually been built housing the 'coveted' skeleton. Meanwhile, there remains another mystery to solve: where did the paintings on the boat end up? See you in the next episode…!
- Google+
- tumblr
Search posts
Latest posts
Siena: Ricciarelli: Siena’s sweets hailing from the far East.

Local Traditions
Alongside panforte, they are among Siena’s sweets that best represent the city. Just thinking about their orange and vanilla scent, s...
ViewFlorence: Who invented the bistecca alla fiorentina?

Local Traditions
The Florentine beefsteak is the undisputed queen of Tuscany’s gastronomy. Including the bone, and strictly cooked in ‘blood’ (i.e...
ViewTuscany: Ferdinando Innocenti: the inventor of the Lambretta.

Big Names
There is no doubt that Tuscany is a land of inventors. Just think of Leonardo da Vinci! Ferdinando Innocenti is also one of them. Do yo...
ViewFlorence: Negroni was born in Florence!

Did you know that...
Now that Mojito and Moscow Mule are all the rage as aperitifs, there are classic cocktails that have stood the test of time and moods. ...
ViewTop posts
Arezzo: Guido d'Arezzo and the invention of the music

Big Names
In Talla and surroundings people have no doubt: the inventor of the musical stave, the inventor of the music notes and also of the mode...
ViewPistoia: The Kiss of the Christs in Gavinana

Local Traditions
It is a very ancient but still popular rite. Two large processions that meet up with a Christ on the cross in front of each one: the he...
ViewSiena: Piero Carbonetti and his tin drum

Local Traditions
Subversive, persecuted, anarchist, homeless, dreamer: it is really difficult to define Piero Carbonetti, Tuscan bred and born and Garib...
ViewPisa: Kinzika, the young woman who saved Pisa from the Saracens

Local Traditions
It was really her, a young woman with an Arabian name, Kinzica, of the noble Sismondi family, to save Pisa from being sacked by Saracen...
View