Sadly, the title of these posts will have ruined the ending of the story, however, the details still make it worthy of being told. We discussed the rather tumultuous life and times of the great Italian painter Caravaggio in the last post. In it, we learned about how, while he may be remembered for his art, his murkier history is often overlooked today. A bit of a bad boy who was fond of brawling and drinking, one of his disagreements went too far and ended up in murder, causing Caravaggio to spend the latter years of his life on the run for his crimes.
In this, Caravaggio's final chapter, we will discuss his last days and how he died on a beach on the coast of Tuscany.
One might think that being on the run for murder would lead you to keep a low profile in order to remain unnoticed and free. Caravaggio, however, had other ideas. In 1608, two years after his murder of Roman pimp Ranuccio Tomassoni, and two years into his life on the run, he got into another dispute. In July of that year, he attacked Fra Giovanni Rodomonte Roero, one of the most senior knights in the Order of St. John in Malta.
However, luck really did seem to be on his side and though Caravaggio was arrested and jailed for the assault, he managed to escape in August of the same year. Unfortunately for him, his luck with the priest ended there as Roero held a grudge and did not let it, or Caravaggio, go. In 1609, he followed Caravaggio to Naples and assaulted the painter outside a tavern, disfiguring his face. Yet, on he went again and even produced more works, though his vision was diminished and this is visible in his technique and brushwork.
Hoping to bank on the luck that he had already benefitted from in life, Caravaggio aimed to get in touch with the Pope, who had the power to pardon him. Most likely informed that friends were working on his behalf to secure his pardon, Caravaggio began to make his way back to Rome in 1610. Sadly for him, while moving from Naples, he was arrested in Palo, after the boat he was on made a stop there. He, once again, managed to be released and resumed his journey, eventually arriving at Port'Ercole. However, in a great anticlimax to the tale, he is said to have caught a fever and died just a few days later, on July 18, 1610, on Feniglia Beach.
A macabre tale, perhaps, a fascinating one and certainly one more reason for Caravaggio enthusiasts to find a vacation rental on the Tuscan Coast and see it for themselves.
One might think that being on the run for murder would lead you to keep a low profile in order to remain unnoticed and free. Caravaggio, however, had other ideas. In 1608, two years after his murder of Roman pimp Ranuccio Tomassoni, and two years into his life on the run, he got into another dispute. In July of that year, he attacked Fra Giovanni Rodomonte Roero, one of the most senior knights in the Order of St. John in Malta.
However, luck really did seem to be on his side and though Caravaggio was arrested and jailed for the assault, he managed to escape in August of the same year. Unfortunately for him, his luck with the priest ended there as Roero held a grudge and did not let it, or Caravaggio, go. In 1609, he followed Caravaggio to Naples and assaulted the painter outside a tavern, disfiguring his face. Yet, on he went again and even produced more works, though his vision was diminished and this is visible in his technique and brushwork.
Hoping to bank on the luck that he had already benefitted from in life, Caravaggio aimed to get in touch with the Pope, who had the power to pardon him. Most likely informed that friends were working on his behalf to secure his pardon, Caravaggio began to make his way back to Rome in 1610. Sadly for him, while moving from Naples, he was arrested in Palo, after the boat he was on made a stop there. He, once again, managed to be released and resumed his journey, eventually arriving at Port'Ercole. However, in a great anticlimax to the tale, he is said to have caught a fever and died just a few days later, on July 18, 1610, on Feniglia Beach.
A macabre tale, perhaps, a fascinating one and certainly one more reason for Caravaggio enthusiasts to find a vacation rental on the Tuscan Coast and see it for themselves.
