 It is not known where he obtained his early training though he is strongly influenced by the circle of il Morazzone, in works such as the "Saint Teresa" altarpiece in the Certosa di Pavia.In 1633, Cairo moved to Turin to work as a court painter, including portraits, to Vittorio Amedeo I of the House of Savoy.Between 1637–1638, Cairo travelled to Rome, where he encounters the works of Pietro da Cortona, Guido Reni and of the Caravaggisti.