Sistine Chapel, Catholic chapel in Vatican City, Vatican
The chapel is a rectangular room measuring 134 feet long and 44 feet wide (40.9 by 13.4 meters) with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and altar wall covered in frescoes of Genesis and the Last Judgment. Over three hundred human figures show biblical episodes through Renaissance painting techniques, while the side walls contain scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ painted by Quattrocento artists such as Botticelli and Perugino.
Pope Sixtus IV commissioned architect Baccio Pontelli to build the chapel between 1473 and 1481, replacing the earlier Cappella Magna as the setting for papal ceremonies. Michelangelo painted the ceiling from 1508 to 1512 under Pope Julius II, then returned from 1536 to 1541 to complete the Last Judgment fresco.
Cardinals gather here for conclaves since 1492, with white smoke announcing the election of each new pope. Worshippers from around the world see the biblical scenes as theological messages delivered through art, making church authority visible and present.
The chapel opens Monday through Saturday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with admission included in Vatican Museums entrance tickets. Visitors must cover shoulders and knees as strict dress codes apply, and photography as well as speaking are prohibited inside.
Michelangelo worked from scaffolding while lying on his back with his head tilted upward, causing chronic neck pain throughout the project. Contrary to popular belief, he did not paint while lying completely flat, but rather in a bent position.
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