Piazza Navona
Rome, Italy
San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
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Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- ≈ 9:30–12:45 and 14:30–18:30
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 20 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Highlight
- Three Caravaggios in the Contarelli Chapel
- Lighting
- Coin-operated — €1–2
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Location
- Between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, 3 minutes from each
Key facts
1518–1589construction of France's national church in Rome
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English Wikipedia1599–1602Caravaggio painted the St Matthew cycle
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English Wikipedia3 paintingsthe Calling, the Inspiration and a third scene from Matthew's life
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English WikipediaFirst commissionCaravaggio's first major public church work
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English WikipediaDomenichinofrescoes of St Cecilia in the second chapel on the right
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English WikipediaCaravaggio in the Contarelli Chapel
The reason to come is the Contarelli Chapel, the last on the left before the altar. Its walls hold three Caravaggios about St Matthew, painted in 1599–1602 — the young artist's first major church commission, and the one that made his name.
On the left is The Calling of St Matthew: Christ enters a dim room where the tax collector Matthew sits counting money with companions, and points at him as a shaft of light cuts across the canvas. In the centre, The Inspiration of St Matthew shows an angel dictating the Gospel; on the right is the cycle's third scene. Everything that defines Caravaggio is here — hard light and shadow, ordinary people in contemporary dress, and a sense that it's happening now.
The story of the commission
The French cardinal Matthieu Cointrel — Contarelli in Italian — left money to decorate the chapel with scenes of his patron saint. Nothing happened for decades until 1599, when the young Caravaggio got the job through his patron Cardinal del Monte. His first Inspiration was rejected as too coarse; the replacement hangs here today.
About the church
The church is dedicated to Louis IX, the saint-king of France — Luigi in Italian. It took most of the 16th century to build, from 1518 to 1589, with a façade by Giacomo della Porta bearing statues of Charlemagne and St Louis and the salamander emblem of Francis I. It remains France's national church: Mass is said in French, and French artists and diplomats are buried here.
The second chapel on the right has Domenichino's serene frescoes of St Cecilia (1612–1615) — a fine contrast with Caravaggio's drama across the nave.
What to see
- The Calling of St Matthew — Contarelli Chapel, left wall.
- The Inspiration of St Matthew — over the chapel altar.
- The third canvas — on the chapel's right wall.
- Domenichino's St Cecilia frescoes — second chapel on the right.
- Della Porta's façade — with Charlemagne and St Louis.
- Gilded ceiling — the Apotheosis of St Louis.
How to get there
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Piazza Navona is about 3 min away on foot.
- Pantheon is about 4 min away on foot.
- Santa Maria sopra Minerva is about 6 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the Pantheon, 3 minutes west along Via Giustiniani.
- From Piazza Navona, 2 minutes east.
- Buses 30, 70, 81 and 87 to Corso del Rinascimento.
- From Sant'Ignazio, 7 minutes past the Pantheon.
More Caravaggio in Rome
Caught the bug? See more Caravaggio free at Sant'Agostino, five minutes away (the Madonna of Loreto), and at Santa Maria del Popolo (the Conversion of St Paul). With a ticket, there's more at the Borghese Gallery, Palazzo Barberini, the Capitoline Museums and the Doria Pamphilj Gallery.
Is it worth visiting?
Without question, if you're near the Pantheon: Caravaggio of this calibre for free is rare even in Rome. Twenty minutes is enough, though many linger in front of the Calling. Cover shoulders and knees; the church closes at lunchtime.
Before you go
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Rome's churches: compare and choose
Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Pantheon | 82 | 30 min | ≈ €5 | 4 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Basilica | 71 | 1 h 30 min | Free; dome ≈ €8–15 | 31 min walk |
| Sistine Chapel | 64 | 30 min | Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 | 30 min walk |
| Archbasilica of St John Lateran | 64 | 45 min | Free | 3.0 km |
| Santa Maria Maggiore | 62 | 40 min | Free | 35 min walk |
| Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls | 57 | 45 min | Free | 4.6 km |
| Church of the Gesù | 53 | 30 min | Free | 10 min walk |
| Sant'Ignazio | 51 | 30 min | Free | 7 min walk |
| Santa Maria sopra Minerva | 51 | 30 min | Free | 6 min walk |
| Piazza del Popolo | 50 | 30 min | Free | 22 min walk |
| Santa Maria in Trastevere | 50 | 30 min | Free | 21 min walk |
| Mouth of Truth | 49 | 20 min | Donation ≈ €2 | 24 min walk |
| Catacombs of Rome | 48 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €10–12 with guide | 35 min walk |
| San Pietro in Vincoli | 48 | 20 min | Free | 29 min walk |
| San Luigi dei Francesiyou are here | 47 | 20 min | Free | — |
| Santa Maria della Vittoria | 46 | 20 min | Free | 30 min walk |
| San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane | 46 | 20 min | Free | 23 min walk |
| Tempietto | 45 | 20 min | Free | 24 min walk |
| Santa Sabina | 45 | 20 min | Free | 30 min walk |
| Trastevere | 44 | 2 h | Free | 27 min walk |
| Baths of Diocletian | 42 | 1 h | Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 | 34 min walk |
| Basilica of San Clemente | 39 | 1 h | Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12 | 38 min walk |
Around the Pantheon
The Pantheon at opening, Bernini's elephant and Santa Maria sopra Minerva, then Sant'Ignazio and San Luigi dei Francesi for Caravaggio.
- Pantheon30 min · ≈ €5
- 3 min walk from the previous stopSanta Maria sopra Minerva30 min · Free
- 3 min walk from the previous stopSant'Ignazio30 min · Free
- 7 min walk from the previous stopSan Luigi dei Francesiyou are here20 min · Free
4 places · about 2 h 3 min with walks · 13 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Caravaggio is free; the light costs a coin.
- The Contarelli Chapel is the last on the left.
- Closed at lunchtime.
- Another Caravaggio waits at Sant'Agostino nearby.
Questions
Where are the Caravaggios in San Luigi dei Francesi?
In the Contarelli Chapel, the last chapel on the left by the altar.
Is San Luigi dei Francesi free?
Yes; the lighting costs a coin.
Which Caravaggio paintings are there?
Three St Matthew paintings, including the Calling and the Inspiration of St Matthew.
What are the opening hours?
Usually 9:30–12:45 and 14:30–18:30.
Where is it?
Between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, 3 minutes from each.
How long do you need?
About 20 minutes.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, San Luigi dei Francesi and The Calling of Saint Matthew
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