Rome is one of the greatest art capitals in the world, an open-air museum where centuries of beauty, genius and audacity coexist. Artists from every era have come here to adorn its walls, ceilings, churches and palaces. The result is a city where every corner is filled with art and stories, not only through masterpieces, but through the passions, rivalries and secrets behind them. Here are seven fascinating things you might not know about the art history of Rome.
1. Michelangelo’s body was stolen from a Roman church
Michelangelo may be a Florentine by birth, but Rome was where he created much of his genius. He moved here permanently in his fifties, preferring the patronage of the popes to the volatile politics of Florence. When he died in 1564, at nearly 89 years old, his body was buried in the church of Santi Apostoli. But Florence could not let its prodigal son rest in Roman soil. Duke Cosimo de’ Medici secretly ordered Michelangelo’s nephew to steal the body and return it to Florence, hidden inside a bale of hay. Today, visitors can pay homage at his monumental tomb, sculpted by Vasari, in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence.
2. Raphael died at just 37 — and lies in the Pantheon
It’s hard to believe that Raphael, who transformed Renaissance art and influenced generations, died so young. After arriving in Rome in 1508, he became one of the Vatican’s most celebrated artists. He fell ill in 1520, legend says after an excess of passion, and died after just 15 days. At his request, he was buried in the Pantheon, one of Rome’s most sacred ancient monuments. His tomb bears a timeless epitaph: “Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die.”
3. Rome’s Baroque genius wasn’t only male
For centuries, the story of Roman art was told by men, until Artemisia Gentileschi reclaimed her rightful place in it.
Born in Rome in 1593, the daughter of painter Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisia was a pioneer. She mastered the dramatic light of Caravaggio and depicted women not as muses, but as protagonists. Her paintings, such as Judith Slaying Holofernes, are now recognised worldwide as some of the most powerful expressions of the Baroque era. It took four hundred years, but Artemisia’s name finally shines where it belongs: among the masters of Rome.
4. Caravaggio, Rome’s rebellious genius
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was as famous for his temper as for his talent. His paintings (full of shadows, realism and spiritual drama) revolutionised Baroque art. But he was also a notorious brawler and fugitive. After a fatal duel in 1606, he fled Rome, living between Naples, Malta and Sicily, forever on the run. Still, his influence never faded. Today, visitors can admire his masterpieces for free in the churches of San Luigi dei Francesi and Santa Maria del Popolo, where light and darkness meet like sin and salvation.
5. Picasso found love — and inspiration — on Via Margutta
In 1917, Pablo Picasso arrived in Rome to design costumes and sets for Jean Cocteau’s ballet Parade. He took up residence on Via Margutta, now home to our own Margutta 19 and Margutta 54, and painted two works that marked a turning point in his style: The Harlequin and the Necklace and The Italian Woman. During that Roman spring, he also met Olga Khokhlova, a Russian ballerina who would become his first wife. A century later, Via Margutta still breathes the same creative energy: a haven for artists, galleries, and dreamers.
6. Many of Rome’s masterpieces are free to see
Some of the world’s greatest works of art are still exactly where they were created: in Rome’s churches.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, powerful families and popes commissioned painters and sculptors to glorify their names — and decorate the city for eternity.
You can admire these treasures for free:
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Michelangelo’s Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli
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Caravaggio’s masterpieces in San Luigi dei Francesi and Santa Maria del Popolo
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Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in Santa Maria della Vittoria
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Raphael’s Chigi Chapel and Filippo Lippi’s frescoes in Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Rome rewards those who wander with open eyes.
7. Rome’s art scene is alive and evolving
Amid its ancient ruins and Renaissance palaces, Rome continues to create. The city’s contemporary art scene thrives through institutions like MAXXI, MACRO, and a vibrant network of independent galleries.
Beyond the centre, the neighbourhoods of Ostiense, Tor Marancia, and Pigneto have become open-air galleries of street art, where colourful murals tell modern stories of identity, society, and change.
Rome, after all, has never stopped reinventing beauty.
Stay where art lives
At Rome Luxury Suites, art is part of the experience - from the artefacts that adorn our halls to the very street that inspired Picasso.
For reservations or tailor-made art experiences, contact us directly at info@romeluxurysuites.com.
