The Raising of Lazarus, 1609

After Caravaggio departed Syracuse, he proceeded to Messina, the cultural center of the island. Thanks to his network of patrons, he quickly obtained the commission to paint the Raising of Lazarus . A transcribed document of the painting's original commission informs us that the patron was a banker of Genoese origin named Giovan Battista de' Lazzari. In addition to satisfying the needs of Lazzari, Caravaggio also relates this painting to the specific mission of the Camillian order as the main altarpiece in the church entrusted to them. The Lazarus therefore acts as both a meditation on death appropriate to the Lazzari funerary chapel and a reinforcement of the charitable acts of caring for the sick and the dying as carried out by the Camillians. As a mercantile center with a constant influx of people, Messina often faced the spread of disease and epidemics. By the late 16th century, this international port town became an important center for medical research and laws concerning medicine. As one of the many altarpieces that promoted good health around the city, the Lazarus further functions as an aid for people to pray for the sick, especially in light of recent miracles involving healing in Messina.