Sistine Chapel

What’s Rome without the Sistine Chapel? While Rome is home to a rich and ancient culture that lies in its ruins and museums, the Sistine Chapel remains to be one of the “must see” places in Rome.

The Ceiling

If you’ve heard of the Sistine Chapel, the first image that you probably think up is the painting of God reaching out to man – the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo for Pope Julius II.

It took more or less three years for Michelangelo to finish all 12,000 feet of ceiling space, a feat which historians and appreciators of art call his crowning achievement. And it is not hard to empathize with them as you stare up into the chapel and see a single man’s ingenious and beautiful rendition and interpretation of the many images we find in the Bible. It does not matter if you are religious or not – all it takes is an appreciation for good art to see the grandeur and wonder of such a spectacular view.

You might be surprised to know that despite of the accolades the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling receives now, the artist himself, Michelangelo, did not particularly like this piece of work, for him, it represented the Pope’s selfish desire for popularity and materialism – a trait that should not be characteristic of the Holy See.

Nevertheless, tourists such as you still flock to the Sistine Chapel to see the ceiling every year, as there are few man made images in the world that send a profound feeling of awe to all who sees it.

And few people know that while Michelangelo is the primary artist associated with the Sistine Chapel, other artisans like Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli also have work in the chapel, but of course none as great as the painting on the ceiling. But is is noteworthy to mention to you that many of the paintings and frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are older than Michelangelo’s ceiling, as the latter was commissioned after the chapel was constructed and decorated, as a sort of late finishing touch.

Functions at the Sistine Chapel

If you must know, the Sistine Chapel is actually the official chapel for the Pope, which means that whenever you enter its halls, you commune in the same place as one of the most influential men on the planet. As such, with all the grandeur of the Bible stories depicted above, you’ll be greeted with portraits of various Popes on the drapes below.

One of the most important functions of the Sistine Chapel now is being the site of the Holy Papal Conclave, where a new pope is voted upon by the College of Cardinals. While during this period, people are barred from entering it and instead gather in large mass in St. Peter’s Square, this very important function shows how important the Sistine Chapel is, not only in terms of its art and aesthetic qualities, but also in terms of the symbolic value it has for members of the high clergy of the Catholic Church.

Really, you’ve haven’t seen Rome if you haven’t been to the Sistine Chapel.