Caravaggio's Madonna dei Pellegrini on rare close view during restoration in Rome

For three days starting September 1, 2022, Caravaggio's Madonna dei Pellegrini (1604–1606) is viewable at close range in the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio, Rome, thanks to cleaning and analysis by Studio Merlini Storti di Restauro (Valeria Merlini and Daniela Storti), in agreement with the Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma and its director Daniela Porro. The studio previously restored the altarpiece in 1999 with an open-to-visitors worksite. The painting, also known as Madonna di Loreto, is temporarily moved from the Cappella Cavalletti to the nave. Commissioned during the Counter-Reformation, the work features a recognizable courtesan, Maddalena (Lena) di Paolo Antognetti, as the Virgin, a provocative choice. After the restoration, a new lighting system by German company Proled Group will be installed. Free viewing hours: Thursday 16–19:30, Friday and Saturday 7:15–12 and 16–19:30.