Sistine Chapel (Capella Sistina)

The Sistine Chapel (Capella Sistina) is located within the Vatican Museum complex, which consists of 12 different subsets. The Vatican Museum admission fee will get you access to all twelve of these collections, as well as the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is a must-see in Rome, so prepared to brave the crowds, as most visitors of the museum will want to experience its artistic beauty.

Two of the works that make the Sistine Chapel deservedly famous are Michelangelo’s ceiling and his fresco portraying The Last Judgement.

Michelangelo spent four years on his back, alone, painting the ceiling at the orders of Pope Justus II. Yet he was reluctant to do this work, as he felt his skill in sculpture was far superior to painting. The scenes on the ceiling are all stories from the book of Genesis. Perhaps the most recognisable of these is the Creation of Adam, where God is pointing his finger at Adam and bringing him to life.

The Last Judgement is on the altar wall and this too took Michelangelo four years to complete. It was created 30 years after he finished the famous ceiling paint work.

In 1985 a controversial cleaning was undertaken in the Sistine Chapel to clear away centuries of grime from the ceiling and The Last Judgement. This was funded by Japanese television in return for the screening rights. The cleaning was a success, and restored much of the art to the vivid colours that would have been there when originally painted.

With so much overwhelming pieces of Michelangelo’s art on display, many visitors can overlook the abundance of other art within the Sistine Chapel. Works by Perugino, Signorelli and Botticelli all feature here.

Practicalities

• Address: Viale del Vaticano
• Metro: Ottaviano San Pietro
• Open: Ticket Office is open from 9.00 to 16.00. The Museums close at 18.00. Closed Sundays except open the last Sunday of the month 09:00 – 12:30. Closed religious holidays.
• Admission: €13 (includes all rooms in the Vatican Museums)

Related posts:

• Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)
• St Peter’s Basilica (Basilica San Pietro)