Rome and Florence Through the Eyes of Baroque Masters

To walk the streets of Rome and Florence is to move through centuries of artistic revelation. It was the Renaissance that first framed Italy’s extraordinary art scene, nowhere more so than in these two cities, the very cradle of the movement. This cultural awakening laid the foundation for generations of artists to come, spawning greats like Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, a revolutionary painter whose intense realism and radical use of light reshaped Baroque art. In his wake came Artemisia Gentileschi, a rare female voice of the time, whose bold, unflinching works broke new ground.

With deep roots in both cities, Hotel de Russie and Hotel Savoy offer more than a place to stay - they provide a gateway into this world. Through exclusive access and curated experiences, Rocco Forte Hotels brings guests closer to the art, the artists, and the stories behind the canvas.

This season, Rome pays tribute to Caravaggio with Caravaggio 2025 - a landmark exhibition hosted across Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini. From candlelit martyrdoms to intimate portraits, his works still arrest the gaze, their immediacy undimmed by time. A master of chiaroscuro, Caravaggio transformed the way stories were told on canvas - using light and darkness to dramatic, emotional effect. But to understand the painter fully, one must follow his steps through the Eternal City: from the studios near Via della Scrofa to the churches of San Luigi dei Francesi and Santa Maria del Popolo, where his canvases remain in situ.

At Hotel de Russie, just moments from Piazza del Popolo, guests can join an exclusive Caravaggio tour, created in partnership with a leading Italian Art and Restoration studio. The experience begins with a rare visit to a private Roman palace - home to The Conversion of Saul, the only Caravaggio painting in private ownership. Here, you’ll view the work up close, guided by an expert in art restoration who will share its conservation story. From there, the experience continues back at the studio, where infrared technology and expert analysis reveal the hidden layers beneath historic paintings. 

While Caravaggio never called Florence home, his legacy is woven through the collections of the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti. His stark realism, so striking in Rome, found new expression in the hands of those he influenced. Most notably, Artemisia Gentileschi.

Artemisia arrived in Florence in her twenties, becoming the first woman admitted to the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. Her style - shaped by Caravaggio, but deeply her own - carried the same drama and intensity, but from a different perspective. The connection was also personal: her father, Orazio Gentileschi, was a fellow painter and a friend of Caravaggio. Indeed, one of Artemisia’s most powerful works, Judith Slaying Holofernes, now hanging in the Uffizi, was inspired by a painting of the same biblical scene depicted by Caravaggio years earlier.

A short stroll from the gallery, Hotel Savoy pays tribute to her legacy at Bar Artemisia. Here, elegance and irreverence sit side by side. The space artfully reimagines the charm of old-world Tuscany, and its bold menu, created in collaboration with Maestro Salvatore Calabrese, features female-produced spirits and cocktails with a distinctly Florentine influence. 

In Rome and Florence, Hotel de Russie and Hotel Savoy place you at the heart of the story, where the worlds of Caravaggio and Artemisia come into focus. With curated access and an innate sense of place, Rocco Forte Hotels offers a deeper way to experience culture. 

To arrange the Private Caravaggio Tour or tickets to the Caravaggio exhibition, please contact the concierge team at Hotel de Russie. For Bar Artemisa bookings, please contact the reservations team at Hotel Savoy.