Can you travel to Rome, Italy now?
Visit this page to find out the rules and all the latest news and updates!
By Elyssa Bernard
August 15, 2021
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.It's hard to think of one without thinking of the other.
Sistine Chapel ceiling, Michelangelo Buonarroti 1508 - 1512.
Find out how an unlikely, inexperienced sculptor got the job to paint what would become one of the greatest masterpieces the world has ever seen.
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - a brief history
I was writing a page about the Sistine Chapel, and I realized I needed to dedicate a whole page to Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.
Not least because Michelangelo is my favorite artist of all time (I am biased, what can I say?)
As you might imagine, many books have been written on the subject.
Art historians have spent their careers studying this one topic.
There's so much I could tell you about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, but I have created this page to give you some of the basic information to get started.
On this page you'll find out about:
- How, why, and when the Sistine Chapel was built
- Who was Michelangelo?
- Pope Julius II and Michelangelo - tough love
- Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - The ceiling paintings
- Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - The Last Judgement
- Sistine Chapel virtual tour
To find out more about the best way to visit the Sistine Chapel, visit my page here.
A different kind of page on Romewise
This page about the history of Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel is a bit different from most pages you will find on this site.
I wanted to give you some of the history, but there is so much to tell, I had to be selective!
You can find a bibliography at the bottom.
This page is for those of you who want a bit of detail about the history, architecture, and paintings of the Sistine Chapel, in particular Michelangelo's work there.
I hope you find this page about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel interesting!
How, when, and why the Sistine Chapel was built
The story of Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel begins before Michelangelo was born, withPope Nicholas V andPope Sixtus IV's changes to the Vatican.
Pope Nicholas V and Fra Angelico
In the mid-1400s,Pope Nicholas Vdecided to make some major changes to the Vatican.
As well as having plans made for the "Old Saint Peter's basilica" to be rebuilt,he alsodecided that the Vatican was where the Pope should live andhad a chapel made for his private use in the Vatican Palace.
Niccoline Chapel and frescoes by Fra Angelico, a precursor to Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.
Pope Nicholas V had one of the best artists of the day, Fra Angelico, cover the inside of this chapel with frescoes which still exist today.
While this became the Pope's private chapel, there was another papal chapel on Vatican grounds. It was known as the "Cappella Magna," which means greater chapel.
How to see the Niccoline Chapel inside the Vatican
You can visit the Niccoline Chapel if you take a tour of the Vatican Secret Rooms.
Pope Sixtus IV and his chapel
When the Sistine Chapel was inaugurated in 1483, Michelangelo Buonarroti was only 8 years old.
Francesco della Roverewas elected pope in 1471. He took the name Sixtus IV.
Pope Sixtus IVwas known for many things including rebuilding the Cappella Magna, which had becomedecrepit.
Between 1473 and 1481, architects worked to rebuild the chapel before it was opened in 1483.
It was thereafter called the Sistine Chapel, named for Pope Sixtus IV.
Sistine Chapel architecture
The exterior is plain, typical of churches of the time. There's no decorative doorway, since access to it is from inside the Papal Palace.
The outside of the Sistine Chapel is austere and fortress-like, as it was intended when it was built in the 15th century.
The architecture of the Sistine Chapel follows the dimensions of Solomon's Temple from the Old Testament, or 6:2:3.
The main chapel space is 134 feet long by 44 feet wide, with a ceiling height of 68 feet.
The ceiling is a barrel vault with windows. It was meant to also act as a fortress, another architectural feature that was typical of churches of the period.
It's easy not to notice this marble screen that stretches across the Sistine Chapel but it's absolutely beautiful and really worth looking at.
There is a marble screen (transenna) across the middle of the chapel.
It was meant to separate the Pope from the faithful who would stand in the back of the chapel.
Originally it divided the Sistine Chapel exactly in half but over time, as the Pope required more attendants, the screen was moved back to where it stands today.
Who was Michelangelo?
Before we get into Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, here's a little bit about his early life.
Michelangelo Buonarroti was born March 6, 1475, near Arezzo, about 40 miles outside of Florence.
When he was13, Michelangelo apprenticed in the workshop of the foremost Florentine artist of the day, Domenico Ghirlandaio. Even at that age, Michelangelo's raw talent shone through.
In this painting on the altar of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Domenico Ghirlandaio allowed Michelangelo to paint the three figures in the background, with their backs to us.
Lorenzo de Medici, was a great lover of the arts. He had the best creators live on his property as a sort of artists' colony, giving them room and board, materials, and the time and space to create.
Michelangelo spent some of his formative years here. This is where his love for sculpting and his innate talent began to really shine through.
He became so passionate about wanting to sculpt the human body correctly that he paid an attendant at the city morgue to sneak in at night and cut open the bodies of unclaimed corpses. This was illegal and punishable by death, but Michelangelo was determined.
Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving.— Johann Wolfgang Goethe, 23 August 1787
Michelangelo began getting larger and larger commissions, beforehe got a commission to come to Rome and sculpt something for a side chapel in Old Saint Peter's Basilicawhen in his early twenties.
By the time Michelangelo finished his masterpiece, the Pietà, his patron had died. Not only that, but the basilica where it was to go was leaning heavily, and Michelangelo was afraid to put his work in there for fear it would be crushed when the building collapsed. Nonetheless, he and some friends snuck it in, wherePope Julius II would see it.
Disclosure: If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you.Thank you for supporting my site!
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - there is more of his work around the Vatican and Rome, like his stunning Pietà in Saint Peter's Basilica.
Pope Julius II and Michelangelo - tough love
Pope Julius II was the nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, and wasa man to be reckoned with.
He was nicknamed "the warrior pope" because he actually went to battle defending Rome and the papacy.
Pope Julius IIdecided Michelangelo should build his tomb.
And it was to be monumental, literally.
It was going to be so grandiose that both the Pope and Michelangelo agreed that Saint Peter's Basilica needed to be rebuilt to house it.
how Pope Julius II harangued a sculptor and convinced him to paint
Pope Julius II had a lot of projects at the Vatican.
He was collecting antiquities that were being unearthed around Rome. These included the Laocoönsculpture, the Belvedere torso, and the Belvedere Apollo. Michelangelo was heavily influenced by this ancient Greco–Roman art.
Pope Julius began the collection that would become the Vatican Museumsas well as revisiting theidea of rebuilding Saint Peter's Basilica.
Michelangelo had a hand in much of what you see today at the Vatican, including the design of the dome.
The first chief architect for the basilica that Pope Julius consulted wasDonato Bramante,who was not thrilled about a young upstart getting such a big commission from the Pope for the tomb project.
Bramante thought he might try to nip this in the bud by suggesting that the Pope have Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, yet another of the Pope's many projects.
Michelangelo's Moses for the (unfinished) tomb of Pope Julius II is yet another of his masterpieces. You can it see in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli near the Colosseum in Rome.
At first, Michelangelo refused on the basis thathe was a sculptor and wanted only to sculpt, not paint.
He was also in the middle of sculpting the pope's tomb, and he didn't like to interrupt his work, once begun. There was quite a bit of back and forth but in the end, you know who won that argument.
The Pope wanted Michelangelo to paint the 12 apostles.
Michelangelo said, let's think big, really big. Let's think Genesis! The first book of the Bible.
And you know who won that argument too.
Painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
how the project began
Michelangelo had honed his drawing skills in Ghirlandaio's workshop.He had also learned a little bit about fresco painting by assisting more experienced fresco artists.
But he still saw himself primarily as a sculptor, and that is the work he loved most. He never wanted to paint.
So, when Michelangelo finally accepted the job to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he brought a few trusted artists from his native Florence to work with him, partly to help him get started with this technique.
the scaffolding
Obviously, Michelangelo would need some sort of scaffolding.
Bramante and his assistants built scaffolding to Michelangelo's specifications. It was a flat, wooden platform that came out from the side walls high up near the tops of the windows.
Contrary to the romantic idea of Michelangelo lying on his back to paint the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo actually stood on his scaffolding while he painted.
Think about doing this for four years. It caused Michelangelo tremendous neck and back strain, and damaged his eyesight irrevocably.
Ceiling Elements
Michelangelo had a daunting task ahead of him. How to fill a 6,000 square feet expanse?
Diagram of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. TTaylor work adapted by Begoon - on Wikimedia Commons
Certainly the most admired section of the ceiling today is the vault in the center with its nine panels from the Old Testament.
The panels are divided into three sections, each with three paintings. They represent:
- The Creation of the Heavens and Earth
- The Creation of Adam and Eve (Humankind)
- Noah and the Great Flood
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - the most famous part is the nine-panel section depicting Genesis in the center vault.
Noah and the flood
Michelangelo began by painting the stories of Noah and the Flood.
These panels were farthest from the altar where the Pope would stand, and he wanted to start here so that he could improve his technique as he moved closer to the altar, as well as giving him time to decide how to paint God.
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - the story of Noah and the Deluge.
If you enter the Sistine Chapel from the back, the first panel is of the Drunkenness of Noah. This is followed by theGreat Flood and thenthe Sacrifice of Noah.
These panels are actually out of order, but it may be that Michelangelo needed the large middle panel to depict more scenes of the flood. On that panel alone, he painted over 60 figures, depicting the tragedy about to befall them.
Adam and Eve
In 1510, Michelangelo took a year off from painting the Sistine Chapel.The Pope was impatient and forced Michelangelo to unveil what he'd already done. The crowds were awed. But Michelangelo had yet to paint what would become his masterpiece - God's creation of humankind.
When Michelangelo began to paint the scenes depicting Adam and Eve, he had a much better handle on fresco work, and he understood the kind of image he needed to portray to make an impact on viewers below.
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - Creation of Adam 1508–1512.
He had also had plenty of time to decide how he would portray God.
In these panels, God is portrayed as a grey-bearded rugged old man. Nobody had ever depicted God this way before.But since then, it has become normal to see this in religious paintings. Michelangelo changed everything.
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - his ceiling depicts scenes from Genesis, while his Last Judgement on the back wall is about the Apocalypse.
God creates the universe
The last three panels are from the beginning of Genesis, showing God creating the universe.
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - These three panels are from Genesis and depict God creating the universe.
On the first panel, God creates light, separating it from darkness. The middle panel shows God creating the sun, moon and plants and the third panel shows God dividing the waters from the heavens.
Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling in October 1512, wowing everyone when it was unveiled.
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - The Last Judgement
The Last Judgment.The genius of Michelangelo fatefully immortalizes the moment in which the angels announce the unleashing of the Apocalypse, with a blast of trumpets.
What happened next
In September 1534, only days before his death,Pope Clement VIIcommissioned Michelangelo to paint the back wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel.
Preparations for the wall began in 1535, and Michelangelo painted the wall under the jurisdiction of Pope Paul III (Farnese), between 1536 and 1541.
Times had changed.In the years following Michelangelo's completion of the ceiling frescoes, much had happened in Rome, Italy, and Europe andMichelangelo's outlook on life had grown darker. This was reflected in the painting he created, the Last Judgement.
the meaning of the Last JudgEment
The original painting on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel was the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Perugino. Only this sketch survives.
The entire wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel is covered with Michelangelo's Last Judgment.
The Last Judgmentshows the second coming of Christ and the final judgment of those doomed to hell or being sent to heaven.
The painting shows Christ in the middle, with his mother Mary next to him,surroundedby the 12 apostles.
Altogether there are over 300 figures, with nearly all the males and angels originally shown as nudes.
The painting shows souls saved and rising toward heaven on the left. On the right, you can see souls that are damned and are being pulled down towards hell.
In the Last Judgment,San Bartolomeo has a place of honor and has always been one of the most emblematic figures in the fresco.According to some scholars, the flayed skin he holds in his hand could very well be a self-portrait of Michelangelo
To the right of Christ, you can see St. Bartholomew with his flayed skin.
Most scholars agree that the face in the skin is that of Michelangelo, a self portrait.
Some speculate this was a reflection of Michelangelo's anguish at being forced to paint yet again.
Other theories suggest Michelangelo was trying to redeem himself for things he had done when he was younger. He had become more devout with age, and maybe he was worried about the fate of his soul.
Minos. The feared judge of darkness. Another mythological figure painted by Michelangelo
Satan himself is not depicted, butat the bottom right we see Minos, supervising the admission of the damned into Hell.
When the Last Judgement was complete, Pope Paul IIIsupposedlyfell to his knees before it and prayed. Others were not so favorably impressed, with nudity in religious art being frowned upon.
One very vocal critic wasBiagio da Cesena,Papal Master of Ceremonies. In response to his criticism,Michelangelo went back and worked Cesena's face into the figure of Minos, giving him donkey ears and a snake biting his genitals.
Michelangelo painted everyone nude because that is how he imagined they would meet the end of days. Humans are born naked and in the end they die naked.
Another critic was Cardinal Carafa who said that the painting was obscene andinsisted that the genitals be covered.
Michelangelo refused, but in 1562 the Council of Trent issued a decree regulating the use of images in churches.Now the nudity had to be covered.
Michelangelo's pupil and friend Daniel da Volterra did it on his behalf, promising his friend he would disturb his original painting as little as possible. This did little to placateMichelangelo.
Over time, more and more of the nudity was covered.
During the most recent restoration many of these black cloths were removed, but not the ones originally painted by da Volterra. The cloths left in place remind us that without them, the painting might have been destroyed entirely.
Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564, days shy of his 89th birthday. How lucky are we that he lived so long and was able to give the world so much?
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - a virtual tour
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - bibliography
I hope you have enjoyed this page about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel! These are the resources I used most:
- Ross King, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
- Irving Stone, The Agony and the Ecstasy
- Giorgio Vasari, The Lives of the Artists
- Claudia Viggiani, Rome through My Eyes
- Antonio Forcellino, Michelangelo - A Tormented Life
- Reliable online resources including Wikipedia, National Geographic, The Khan Academy, Vatican Museums
Want to save this page about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel to Pinterest? Pin it here!
Get yourfreeRome trip planner!
Simply sign-up today for our free newsletter and get the Romewise Quick-start guide to Rome
We are committed to respecting your data. Click for our Privacy Policy .
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
Please come over to the private Romewise Facebook group and join in the conversation.
You will often find me there, happy to answer your questions / comments!
You will also meet other Rome lovers and experts, too.
What are you waiting for?
- Romewise Home Page
- Visit the Sistine Chapel
- Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel
FAQs
What is the story behind the Sistine Chapel? ›
The frescoes on the ceiling, collectively known as the Sistine Ceiling, were commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508 and were painted by Michelangelo in the years from 1508 to 1512. They depict incidents and personages from the Old Testament.
What happened with Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel? ›Michelangelo completed the Sistine Chapel in 1512. Its importance in the history of art cannot be overstated. It turned into a veritable academy for young painters, a position that was cemented when Michelangelo returned to the chapel twenty years later to execute the Last Judgment fresco on the altar wall.
Why did Michelangelo make the Sistine Chapel ceiling? ›In 1508, Pope Julius II (also known as Giulio II and "Il papa terribile"), asked Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. Julius was determined that Rome should be rebuilt to its former glory, and had embarked on a vigorous campaign to achieve the ambitious task.
What was Michelangelo message in the Sistine Chapel? ›On the 500th anniversary of the artist's first climb up the ladder in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, a new book claims he embedded subversive messages in his spectacular frescoes -- not only Jewish, Kabbalistic and pagan symbols but also insults directed at Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work, and ...
Why is the Sistine Chapel so special? ›The Sistine Chapel is a large chapel in the Vatican City. It is renowned for its Renaissance art, especially the ceiling painted by Michelangelo, and attracts more than 5 million visitors each year.
Why is the Sistine Chapel painting so famous? ›The Sistine Chapel is one of the Vatican's proudest features. Set in the confines of the Vatican City's ancient backdrop, the chapel is famous for its extensive collection of Renaissance art that has been painted by some of the world's most famous artists.
Did the Vatican ceiling collapse? ›Fragments from the ceiling of St Peter's Basilica fell to the ground during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the afternoon of 4 October. There was nobody injured in the incident, which occurred to the left of the high altar as the pontiff presided over the episcopal ordination of four new bishops.
What is the central idea of the story Michelangelo? ›Answer:They give expression to the theme that love helps human beings in their difficult effort to ascend to the divine. In 1534 Michelangelo returned after a quarter century to fresco painting, executing for the new pope, Paul III, the huge Last Judgment for the end wall of the Sistine Chapel.
How much did Michelangelo get paid for painting the Sistine Chapel? ›From 1508 to 1512, he earned 3200 florins for his work on the Sistine Chapel. When Pope Paul III made him artist-in-residence to the Vatican in 1534, he put him on a salary. He was then getting paid 12 times as much as Emperor Charles V paid Titian.
What is the most famous scene in the Sistine Chapel? ›The fresco of the Creation of Adam, in which God breaths life into Adam, is the focal point of the chapel and is one of the most reproduced images in the world.
How long did the Sistine Chapel take? ›
How long did it take for Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. The entire ceiling took 4 years to complete, between the years of 1508 and 1512. The word 'fresco' translates as 'fresh' in Italian and involves painting hand ground natural earth pigments on a damp lime plaster wall.
What are the symbols of the Sistine Chapel ceiling? ›Around the centre of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are twelve prophetic figures all representing the coming of Christ. Seven of these are Israeli Prophets, and the remaining five are the female Sibyls of the Classical World.
What religion is the Sistine Chapel? ›In 1508, 33-year-old Michelangelo was hard at work on Pope Julius II's marble tomb, a relatively obscure piece now located in Rome's San Pietro in Vincoli church. When Julius asked the esteemed artist to switch gears and decorate the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, Michelangelo balked.
How much is the Sistine Chapel worth? ›How Much Would The Sistine Chapel Be Worth? There are no better sights in the world than the Sistine Chapel. However, it would never sell, to be removed, nor would it be valuable if it was disposed of in that way. An estimate of ten to fifteen BILLION dollars is most accurate.
How long did it take Leonardo da Vinci to paint the Sistine Chapel? ›Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling took four years. He finished in 1512. Of all the scenes painted on the ceiling, the most famous is The Creation of Adam, which depicts the creation story from the Bible.
Who owns the Sistine Chapel? ›The Sistine Chapel is in the official residence of the Pope, the Apostolic Palace. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, the chapel's “new” name came from Pope Sixtus IV. Pope Sixtus IV committed to restoring the chapel between 1477 and 1480. Today, the Sistine Chapel serves as a private chapel of the pope.
What was the Sistine Chapel used for originally? ›The Sistine Chapel was used for the ceremonies of the papal court in which the most important figures of the city participated.
How much did Michelangelo get paid for the Sistine Chapel? ›From 1508 to 1512, he earned 3200 florins for his work on the Sistine Chapel. When Pope Paul III made him artist-in-residence to the Vatican in 1534, he put him on a salary.
What is the most famous scene in the Sistine Chapel? ›The fresco of the Creation of Adam, in which God breaths life into Adam, is the focal point of the chapel and is one of the most reproduced images in the world.
How much is the Sistine Chapel ceiling worth? ›
Many believe that it's not possible to put a price on the Sistine Chapel due to the religious worth, which is clearly invaluable, but a banker's best estimate on the entire wealth of the Vatican would be somewhere between $10 billion and $15 billion.
What are some fun facts about the Sistine Chapel? ›Its ceiling has the most famous frescoes that were painted by a talented sculptor turned painter, Michelangelo. The Chapel is within the Vatican City and its glorious museums. At least 25,000 visitors walk into this chapel daily to marvel at the masterpiece on the ceiling.
What religion is the Sistine Chapel? ›The Sistine Chapel is a large chapel located in the Vatican City, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. It is most famous for its Renaissance art, particularly the ceiling painted by Michelangelo.
How long did it take Leonardo da Vinci to paint the Sistine Chapel? ›Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling took four years. He finished in 1512. Of all the scenes painted on the ceiling, the most famous is The Creation of Adam, which depicts the creation story from the Bible.
Who owns the Sistine Chapel? ›The Sistine Chapel is in the official residence of the Pope, the Apostolic Palace. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, the chapel's “new” name came from Pope Sixtus IV. Pope Sixtus IV committed to restoring the chapel between 1477 and 1480. Today, the Sistine Chapel serves as a private chapel of the pope.
How old was Michelangelo when he did the Sistine Chapel? ›In 1508, 33-year-old Michelangelo was hard at work on Pope Julius II's marble tomb, a relatively obscure piece now located in Rome's San Pietro in Vincoli church. When Julius asked the esteemed artist to switch gears and decorate the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, Michelangelo balked.
Did the Vatican ceiling collapse? ›Fragments from the ceiling of St Peter's Basilica fell to the ground during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the afternoon of 4 October. There was nobody injured in the incident, which occurred to the left of the high altar as the pontiff presided over the episcopal ordination of four new bishops.
Is it illegal to take pictures of the Sistine Chapel? ›The Chapel is the only place in the Vatican that photography and filming are completely banned. Undoubtedly one of the world's most famous buildings, the Sistine Chapel is a testament to the immense skill of history's greatest artists within the Renaissance era. The real reason for the ban dates back to 1980.
Why can't you take pictures in Sistine Chapel? ›It's protected by a copyright law, which means selling those snaps, or even sharing them on social media without permission, could lead to a fine. Meanwhile, photography is off limits at the Sistine Chapel in Italy. The reason? The flashes from cameras can be harmful to the artwork.
How long did it take to build the Sistine Chapel? ›Commissioned in 1508 by Pope Julius II, the ceiling took five years for the young Renaissance artist to complete, ultimately making its public debut on the Feast of All Saints: November 1, 1512.
How long can you stay in the Sistine Chapel? ›
We were advised but not ordered to stay no longer than twenty minutes. As the others stated, its very crowded.
Did Leonardo Da Vinci paint the Sistine Chapel? ›Answer and Explanation: The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted from 1508-1512, but it was not painted by Leonardo. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was the masterpiece of another Renaissance artist, Michelangelo.