Feb. 10 - Three Caravaggio masterpieces are heading for two American cities: Williamsburg, in the State of Washington, and Boston. The Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg inaugurated the exhibition Conoscere Caravaggio, which will present Caravaggio’s "San Francesco in Meditazione" series, and "La Buona Fortuna." The exhibition will offer visitors the rare opportunity to see the Caravaggio two versions of the saint from Assisi side by side as well as admire the Maestro’s study on luck. The two versions of Saint Francis in Meditation, almost identical, come from the Church of San Pietro in Carpineto Romano (on permanent loan to the National Gallery of Ancient Art, Rome) and the Capuchin Church in Rome. The American audience will also be able to participate first hand in the ongoing debate concerning Caravaggio’s hand in both paintings. The exhibition is completed with photographs and illustrative panels on the issues related to the nativity of the two famous Italian paintings. At the end of the exhibition, Conoscere Caravaggio will move to Boston. "With our commitment taken to bring to life this exhibition, MetaMorfosi wants to make a real contribution to excellent cultural relations between Italy and the United States. By providing all of our organizational skills and competences, we have worked to ensure that Italian art is increasingly popular and appreciated in the United States," says the chairman of MetaMorfosi, Pietro Folena.

THE EXHIBITION
The Muscarelle Museum of Art cooperated with the Italian Embassy in Washington DC, and received organization support from the MetaMorfosi cultural association for the exhibition Conoscere Caravaggio. The show opened on Saturday, a month after the conclusion of “2013: Year of Italian Culture in the United States,” and will remain open to the public until April 6. The three masterpieces will be subsequently transferred to Boston where, from April 12 until June 15, they will be hosted at the Museum of Fine Art.