Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio, is a famous artist who was born in 1571 in Milan and died in 1610 in Porto Ercole. Now, for the first time the supposed remains of the artist are on display to the public in the port city where he died.

Presumably, because the experts are only 85% certain that they are the remains of Caravaggio. For this event the city authorities held a ceremony “to give a decent burial.”

The urn which has his remains will be on display throughout the month of July in the enclave Forte Stella along with pictures of the various stages of the research to determine if indeed they were his remains.

Caravaggio’s remains were buried in 1610 in the cemetery of San Sebastian in the city where he died, and many think he died there after fleeing from Rome because he had been sentenced to death for having committed a murder.

The research to determine if the remains were of the artist was conducted jointly by researchers from four Italian universities and initially they had to exhume the remains of more than twenty persons among whose remains Caravaggio’s remains could possibly be found. After subjecting all of them to carbon-14 testing they narrowed it down.

At this time, they performed DNA testing and compared results to DNA of the offspring of the sister of the painter, called Caterina Merisi, but as the line of succession was broken, a DNA link could not be determined. The next step was to make the same analysis to people who called themselves Merisi or Merisio (a derivative) and found that many had similar genetic conditions.

In the city of his birth, many of his greatest works such as “Supper at Emmaus” or “fruit basket ” are on display. You can rent apartments in Milan and enjoy not only his paintings but also pay your respects to his homeland.

The Museum of Contemporary Photography Cinisello Balsamo, on the outskirts of Milan, hosts an exhibition of 18 images (and video) by the German photographer Karen Knorr (Frankfurt am Main, 1954) from the “Fables” series, made between the years 2003 and 2008 until September 12, 2010

Early in her career Knorr, became interested in social reportage, and aligned herself with the new trend developed by British documentary photographers such as Martin Parr, Anna Fox, Pauil Seawright, Keth Arnatt and Eileen Perrier while living in the UK. She became known to audiences and critics with her series Gentleman (1981-1983), a report on English clubs for men. Later she turned her attention to the study of the relationship between nature and society.

The images displayed in Milan are from this phase of her creative journey. The viewer who visits the exhibit will wonder at large-format photographs which highlight contrasting natural elements with formal settings and the overlap between the wild and cultural and artistic expressions of human beings. The main protagonists of the photographs are animals, alive or stuffed (birds, foxes, wild boars, fawns etc.) which are placed in atypical and surprising contexts, like cultural and artistic venues such as museums or historic buildings (the Carnavalet Museum in Paris, the Musée Condé in Chantilly, Chambord Castle Museum of Hunting and Nature of Paris, the Villa Savoye and the Museum of Orsay)

Knorr has exhibited her works in prestigious cultural institutions, and also given classes or lectures at the Tate Modern, the University of Westminster, Goldsmiths, Harvard, and the Art Institute of Chicago. She currently teaches photography at the University College of Creative Arts in Farnham.

Do not miss the opportunity to admire the works of this unique photographer. Admission is also free. Stay in the heart of the Lombard capital, to enjoy the best shops, bars and apartments in Milan. For more information on museum opening times and how to get there, consult the the Museum of Contemporary Photography website http://www.mufoco.org.