Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Caravaggio leave Lombardy in 1592?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Caravaggio
The Conversion of St. Paul (second version), oil on canvas by Caravaggio, 1601; in Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.
The precise circumstances surrounding Caravaggio’s departure from Lombardy in 1592 remain unclear. While he had been selling off small pieces of inherited land during the late 1580s and early 1590s, historical records do not provide a definitive reason for his move to Rome.
However, marginal notes in a manuscript copy of an early biography by Giulio Mancini suggest that his departure may have been linked to a violent incident involving the murder of a policeman. This aligns with the broader pattern of his life, as he was frequently in trouble with the law and established a reputation for an unruly and fiery temperament early on.1