The Sistine Chapel
One of the most famous buildings in Italy is the Sistine Chapel, which is located in Vatican City. The Sistine Chapel was built starting in 1475 and ending in 1481 by Giovanni de Dolci. Pope Sixtus IV ordered the chapel to be built, and in turn, it was named after him. The chapel measures forty meters long and thirteen meters wide. Pope Sixtus IV had several famous artists during the era paint on the walls and ceilings of the Sistine Chapel.
Surprisingly, Michelangelo was not the first to paint the chapel’s ceiling. Piero Matteo d’Amelia included a starry sky. However, Pope Julius decided to have Michelangelo repaint the ceiling. Michelangelo painted scenes from the Book of Genesis along with 300 characters on the chapel’s ceiling. At first, Michelangelo was infuriated about having to paint the ceiling. Ironically, his painting on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is most famous work of art. He painted the ceiling while on a scaffold, which in turn damaged his eyesight.
Several years later, Michelangelo was called back to paint The Last Judgment on the altar wall. Around 1980, the Sistine Chapel was cleaned and restored which took nearly 14 years! The restoration experts used computer analysis to figure out how to restore the artwork without destroying it. However, critics argue that restoring the art destroyed it. They argued that the figures seem “flat” compared to the originals.
The Chapel contains an altar, choristers’ gallery, and a marble screen that divides the chapel into rooms for clergy and congregants. The Sistine Chapel was built mainly for the purpose of the pope’s chapel and the site of papal elections. This is still the case today. The papal elections are decided by the papal conclave. The papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals to elect the new Pope.
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most highly regarded architectural masterpieces in the world. There is so much rich history involved in the building. Millions of tourists each year come and visit The Sistine Chapel to marvel in its wonder. Do not forget to check out the wall frescoes, they’re just as fascinating as the ceiling!
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