Sistine Chapel

Vatican City is a holy place where devout Catholics come to gather, hoping to see a glimpse of the Pope. It is home to the most amazing work of art you’ll ever see in your lifetime.

The exterior of the Sistine Chapel is nothing out of the ordinary. The high rectangular brick building has no exterior details or façade, typical of renaissance churches in Italy.

But the moment you step inside, it’s a whole different view.

The magnificent paintings of Michelangelo Buonarroti on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Last Judgment over the altar are beyond spectacular. You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate a work of art of this magnitude. It is truly breathtaking. Michelangelo worked on this project from 1508 to 1512.

The Ancestors of Christ is painted on the lowest part of the ceiling. Above that, he painted prophets with Jonah over the altar and in the center he painted 9 stories from the Book of Genesis.

Michelangelo used bright colors on the ceiling for easy visibility from the floor. This masterpiece has over 300 figures. Bring binoculars if you want to see the intricate details of the paintings.

The Last Judgment on the altar wall is as magnificent and intense as the Sistine’s ceiling. This mural depicts the second coming of Christ, as he judged the fate of mankind.

Michelangelo was in his 60’s when he started this project. It took six years to finish. He worked on it from 1535 to 1541.

The sidewalls, though sometimes overlooked by visitors because of the ceiling, are covered with frescoes of Moses, Christ and portraits of Popes.

The scenes of the Old Testament are on the left wall and the New Testament on the right wall.

Perugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Roselli executed these paintings. It only took them 11 months to finish the fresco walls.

The Sistine chapel is more than just a gallery to this one of a kind artwork, but to this day it is still the place in which the papal elections in conclave are held and it’s the official residence of the Pope.