CARAVAGGIO
The bad boy of Baroque
Who was Caravaggio?
When people hear the name Caravaggio, they often picture the renowned Renaissance master celebrated for his exceptional use of lighting and the dramatic chiaroscuro technique that brought his paintings to life.
Who was he really?
What is the show?
Beyond being a genius painter who mingled with high-class circles of poets, musicians, scientists, and learned prelates, Caravaggio was equally—if not more—at home among gangsters and prostitutes. What makes his story even more compelling is his penchant for killing and the internal demons that tormented him, shaping both his tumultuous life and his extraordinary work. One could not exist without the other. The interplay of light and darkness in his paintings mirrors Caravaggio himself: a creator of profound beauty, yet driven by forces of violence and destruction.
CARAVAGGIO is a one-hour episodic drama that chronicles the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of the complex and morally ambiguous painter Caravaggio—imagine the Renaissance's answer to Don Draper or Walter White. Arriving in the Eternal City of Rome with nothing but raw talent and ambition, Caravaggio is determined to become the greatest artist of his time. Along the way, he indulges in a chaotic life of hedonism, engaging in passionate affairs with men and women, and forging a colorful entourage of artists, gangsters, sex workers, and powerful patrons.
At the height of his career, Caravaggio dominates the Roman art world, but his self-destructive tendencies and murderous impulses create a storm of chaos. As his enemies close in, he is forced to flee the city, embarking on a desperate and tragic journey to reclaim his place in Rome. With equal parts brilliance and brutality, CARAVAGGIO explores the dark and luminous duality of an artist whose life was as dramatic as his art.
CHARACTERS
CARAVAGGIO, 21, is a talented, yet troubled young artist. Growing up poor in Milan, the streets were his education. While those of higher classes learned to read and write, Caravaggio learned how to fight and steal. When the plague wiped out most of his family, his mother’s dying wish was for him to take up an apprenticeship as a painter. Caravaggio poured all of his pain into his art, and soon surpassed his own master in skill. After a series of mysterious and violent events, Caravaggio was forced to flee the city. Arriving in Rome at the start of our story, he looks to establish himself as an artist in Europe’s most cosmopolitan city. He yearns to find family as much as he does success, yet his impulsive, risk-taking, and violent behavior and his overwhelming desire for respect will eventually drive away even his closest friends. Caravaggio will transform from a small-time criminal and unknown artist, into the most feared, yet respected painter Rome has ever known.
MARIO MINNITI, 18, is a sweet, androgynous teenage boy from Sicily who, like thousands of artists in the 16th century, left his home to find success in Rome. Naive but charming and genuine, Mario is the little brother of his artist friend group, who prowl the streets for scenes to paint and taverns to brawl. Above all else, Mario desires the approval of his older friends, and the success that would make his family proud. Meeting Caravaggio at a time of great uncertainty for them both, Mario will become Caravaggio’s best friend in Rome, and perhaps even his lover. From Caravaggio’s rise as the most infamous painter in Rome, to his tragic fall, Mario is the angel on his shoulder, urging him to make the right choices. Caravaggio’s addition to the group will plunge Mario into a world of violence and success for which he was never prepared. Mario will grapple with the group’s risky decisions, and one day make the right choice for himself.
FILLIDE MELANDRONI, 21, is one of the most sought after courtesans in all of Rome. Her mother brought her brother and her to the city when she was only 12, and immediately put her to work as a prostitute. Since then, her wit, charm, and beauty have transformed her into a popular young courtesan, whose reputation soars amongst Rome’s most powerful men. Despite her newfound status, Fillide remains under the thumb of Rome’s most powerful crime boss, who will do anything to retain his control over her. Spending her nights fulfilling her clients’ fantasies, Fillide dreams of forming real connections and someday having a family of her own. Caravaggio provides such a bond, however their complicated relationship tests the limits of Italian social norms. Fillide will eventually realize that many of the people she loves also those who cause her the greatest harm.
CARDINAL FRANCESCO DEL MONTE, 43, a sophisticated diplomat and patron, walks a fine line between the papal court’s formality and his secret life as a gay champion of the arts. Born to a noble Tuscan family, Del Monte uses his political acumen to rise to prominence, becoming an indispensable figure in Rome. A skilled musician and connoisseur of creativity, he discovers Caravaggio and propels him to fame, offering protection and guidance. Del Monte serves as both mentor and father figure, but even his influence can’t shield Caravaggio from self-destruction. Del Monte’s ultimate passion lies in curating a haven for talent, a space where art thrives despite the dangers of the city.
RANUCCIO TOMASSONI, 24, is the young, ruthless head of Rome’s most powerful crime family. Following his father’s untimely death, Ranuccio is determined to prove his worth to his older brothers by running their dangerous and multifaceted operations in Rome. He manages everything from underworld dealings to the high-end courtesan trade, including controlling Fillide, his most lucrative asset. Ranuccio’s ambition brings him into both partnership and rivalry with Caravaggio, whose unpredictable nature challenges his authority. Ranuccio seeks to dominate Caravaggio as he does others, but he underestimates the chaos the artist brings to the city’s criminal underworld.
CINZIA, 38, the calculating mother of Fillide, rose from poverty to fleeting stability as the wife of a stonemason. After her husband’s death, she pushed her daughter into sex work to maintain the family’s survival. With sharp charisma and an eye for opportunity, Cinzia aligned herself with the powerful Tomassoni family to secure protection and elite clients for Fillide. She sees herself as a manager but ultimately exploits her daughter for her own financial security. Cinzia’s relentless pursuit of wealth alienates her from Fillide, forcing her to confront her dependency and redefine success on her own terms.
ONORIO LONGHI, 24, is an architect with immense talent and a destructive streak. Hailing from Milan, he moved to Rome to craft its grand palaces and churches but found himself edged out by fierce competition. Frustrated and restless, Onorio turns to violence and vice, making him a dangerous influence on Caravaggio. As the darker counterpart to Mario’s good moral compass, Onorio fuels Caravaggio’s transformation from rogue artist to leader of an organized gang rivaling Rome’s most powerful families. Much like Caravaggio, Onorio is a volatile force, embodying both genius and chaos in equal measure.
CONSTANTINO SPATA, 40, is a successful art dealer with a small workshop in the center of Rome. Born into a crime family, he brings a unique perspective to the art world, one that seeks to elevate work that portrays the people rather than idealized versions of gods, saints, and nobility. His eye for this kind of work will eventually catch the attention of Caravaggio, who shares his vision for art of radical truth. Constantinto will be fundamental in propelling Caravaggio to the fame and successes he will rise to in our story.
PROSPERO ORISI, 30, is a kind-hearted painter working under the Pope’s favorite artist, Giuseppe Cesari. A mentor to younger peers, he dreams of escaping the assembly-line drudgery of workshop life to establish himself as a master in his own right. Prospero’s steady optimism and support create a sense of community in the group, but his loyalty will be tested as Caravaggio’s ambition reshapes their shared world.
EPISODES
THE PILOT
Caravaggio, a gifted but volatile painter, arrives in Rome after fleeing mysterious and violent circumstances in Milan. Seeking to establish himself in Europe’s artistic capital, he falls in with the young Mario Minniti and his circle of struggling artists. When he rescues Mario from ruthless debt collectors, Caravaggio unwittingly earns both powerful allies and dangerous enemies. Meanwhile, the ambitious courtesan Fillide Melandroni, supported by her confidant the influential Cardinal Del Monte, battles for control over her future, torn between her domineering mother, Cinzia, and the grip of crime boss Ranuccio Tomassoni. As Caravaggio navigates this world of ambition, betrayal, and survival, he meets the friends and foes who will shape his rise—and his ruin.
Episodes 2-4
Caravaggio and his new friends navigate Rome’s ferociously competitive art world, scraping by while facing sabotage from rival artists Giovanni Baglione and Mao Salini. When Caravaggio rescues Prospero Orsi’s painting from destruction, Prospero secures him a job at Guiseppe Cesari’s prestigious workshop. Onorio Longhi introduces Caravaggio to Rome’s underworld, pulling him into a series of dangerous but profitable schemes. Meanwhile, Fillide and Cinzia struggle over their family's finances after their investment property burns to the ground. Cinzia begins an affair with the wealthy Count Francesco Cinci, hoping to secure financial stability and social ascent. As courtesans start to show up dead, Fillide and her friends begin to fear for their lives as it becomes clear that a serial killer is on the loose. Inspired by Guiseppe Cesari’s latest exhibit, Caravaggio dreams of surpassing his new master but soon falls gravely ill. During his recovery, he creates his first major work, only for Cesari to recognize his talent as a threat and relegate him to menial tasks. Frustrated and undervalued, Caravaggio confronts Cesari in a heated argument that ends in his dismissal. Prospero, standing by Caravaggio, quits in protest, and together they vow artistic revenge. With no income and eviction looming, the group forms a criminal gang, drawing on Caravaggio and Onorio’s experience in the underworld. They strike a deal with crime boss Ranuccio Tomassoni for a share of Ortaccio’s profits but soon find themselves locked in a violent turf war with a rival gang. Amid the chaos, Caravaggio channels the turmoil into creating his first masterpieces. With Mario as his model, the pair's friendship begins to take a new shape...
Episodes 5-6
With the rival gang defeated, Caravaggio’s crew begins to thrive, pulling in a steady income. Prospero connects Caravaggio with a prominent art dealer, who soon captures the attention of the wealthy and powerful patron Cardinal Francesco Del Monte. Enthralled, Del Monte purchases several of Caravaggio’s paintings and introduces him to an elite circle of wealthy collectors who eagerly commission his intimate chamber pieces. Drawn to Caravaggio’s raw talent and charisma, Del Monte invites him to live in his opulent palace, where artists, scientists, and intellectuals coexist in a vibrant creative haven. At Del Monte’s palace, Caravaggio meets Fillide, sparking a romance. With Del Monte’s influence, commissions pour in for Caravaggio, despite backlash over his provocative and violent subject matter. Despite rapidly becoming the most famous painter in Rome, Caravaggio clings to his criminal life, landing himself in jail repeatedly. Tensions escalate when Anna, a former courtesan under rival gang leader Maurizio Cappelletti’s protection, leaves him for Caravaggio. Meanwhile, Cinzia discovers Count Francesco Cenci’s abuse of his daughters. Shaken and transformed, she conspires with them to orchestrate his murder, sending shockwaves through Rome. After some of Fillide’s friends turn up dead in the Tiber, Caravaggio vows to find and kill the serial killer. After getting the wrong guy, a rift begins between Mario and Caravaggio over Caravaggio’s excessive violence, and their emotionally confusing relationship.
Episodes 7-8
Ranuccio attempts to broker a truce between Caravaggio and Cappelletti. Caravaggio’s estranged brother, Giovan, arrives in Rome, dredging up the ghosts of Caravaggio’s violent past in Milan. Cinzia, implicated in the Cinci murder is publicly executed along with the rest of the Cinci family, sparking a massive riot in the streets of Rome. Fillide deals with the complicated emotions surrounding the death of her mother and their unsolved familial issues. Caravaggio, weighed down by all the recent turmoil, struggles with a crippling creative block. Seizing the chaos of the riots and Rome’s Carnival, Caravaggio and his gang plot Cappelletti’s assassination in the streets. Meanwhile the serial killer comes to take Fillide’s life, but she manages to take his instead. All the killing reignites Caravaggio’s artistic fire, inspiring him to paint Judith Beheading Holofernes using Fillide and the dead serial killer as models. Fillide, drawn deeper into Caravaggio’s world, chooses to leave Ranuccio’s protection for him. Enraged by Fillide’s betrayal and Cappelletti’s murder, Ranuccio swears vengeance. Avoiding a direct or otherwise violent confrontation, Ranuccio secretly teams up with Caravaggio's vengeful art rivals to sue him for libel with the hope of destroying his reputation and finances. Now behind bars and facing trial, Caravaggio’s fate hangs in the balance—will he escape conviction and reclaim his place in the art world, or will his legacy end in ruin?
SEASONS
CARAVAGGIO is constructed as a four season show, which chronicles Caravaggio’s rise, fall, and attempt at redemption. While SEASON ONE focuses on Caravaggio becoming the most famous painter in Rome, and one of the most powerful criminals in the city, SEASON 2 will focus on his downfall, which ultimately leads to him fleeing the city.
In SEASON THREE, Caravaggio makes a new life in Naples, and then Malta, bringing a whole new cast of characters and fresh settings. In Naples, Caravaggio’s reputation rockets him to success, but a new hope for a pardon in Rome brokered by the Order of the Knights Hospitaller brings him to Malta. Now a sworn Knight of Malta, Caravaggio paints commissions for the powerful order, but before long his violent tendencies land him stripped of his title and confined to prison. Escaping from the dungeons of Valletta, Caravaggio flees to Syracuse, where he meets up with his old friend Mario Miniti.
In SEASON FOUR, Mario and Caravaggio travel around Sicily, working together on some of the most important commissions of the age. However, extreme paranoia settles in, and Caravaggio’s behavior becomes increasingly paranoid and erratic, fearing that Tomassoni assassins or vengeful Knights are coming to murder him. By the end of our final season, Caravaggio travels back to Naples for safety, only to barely survive an assassination attempt. Wounded and dying of infection, Caravaggio attempts to make his way back to Rome in our season finale. In the coastal city of Porto Ercole, both of Caravaggio’s enemies finally catch up to him, only to find the painter bedridden and dying. At the end of his life, Caravaggio finally has to decide, should he attempt to right his wrongs? Or should he simply accept his violence as a part of who he is?
TONE & STYLE
The show’s tone and style are deeply inspired by Caravaggio’s signature chiaroscuro, using stark contrasts between light and shadow to evoke depth and drama. Our goal is to craft cinematic "moving paintings," much like Kubrick achieved in Barry Lyndon. We will emphasize key elements within the frame by strategically illuminating them, allowing the surrounding darkness to create a striking contrast. This bold approach not only guides the viewer’s eye but also heightens the emotional and thematic impact of each scene. Our lighting design will sculpt the space, drawing attention to the most significant details—whether it be a character’s expression, a symbolic object, or a moment of revelation. By letting the rest of the frame dissolve into shadow, we will create a sense of mystery, tension, and depth, immersing the audience in the psychological complexity of our protagonist’s world.
The visual language will evolve throughout the season: early episodes will feature a softer, more diffused aesthetic to reflect his youthful innocence. As the story unfolds and his inner demons take hold, the cinematography will grow increasingly high-contrast, visually embodying his dual nature—both a brilliant artist and a ruthless killer.
While maintaining a cohesive world, you can see a deliberate shift from lighter to darker tones, both visually and narratively.
