Michelangelo Sistine Chapel description. Sistine Chapel: the Vatican's precious box. From Fiumicino airport

Perhaps this is the case when the external appearance does not correspond at all to the internal content. The contrast between the “packaging” and the filling is too great. In my opinion, in all of Rome, and what is there in Rome, in all of Italy, you will not find such dissonance, such a violation of harmony, such an incompatible combination... External restraint, I would even say, ugliness, coupled with an internal truly priceless splendor.

I think that by the title of my article you have already guessed what I am talking about. That's right, about the Sistine Chapel, which for me personally is an expression of the idea of ​​​​the union of the human soul and body. The personification of how rich and rich the inner world of a person can be, despite all its external simplicity and inconspicuousness.

So, chapel. 21 years after its consecration, a need arose to strengthen this structure, and since then it has undergone many changes. Supports were erected to further strengthen the walls, various superstructures were created, and frescoes were restored. Of course, not a single building can stand untouched for 5 centuries. Even a fortress.

Let's stand at the chapel for a while and take a closer look at its appearance.

Appearance

As I said above, the Sistine Chapel was conceived as a defensive structure, but also served as a house church for popes.

The building has a rectangular shape and exactly repeats the dimensions of Solomon's Temple - 40.9 meters in length and 13.4 meters in width. This is stated in the Old Testament.

A fortress cannot have any special frills, unlike a palace, so everything is laconic, strict and ascetic. By the way, take a closer look. Does the shape of the chapel remind you of anything? Personally, I have associations with a Victorian era box. Strict classics, “chopped” design, nothing superfluous.

The papal house church has 3 floors.

The first floor is very strong and solid, with thick and high walls, characteristic of defensive structures of those times.

On the second floor we see lancet windows, thanks to the size of which there is always enough air and light inside the chapel.

The third floor was a guardhouse, so instead of windows there are many loopholes that served as openings for firing at targets. Once this room did not have a roof, the gallery was open, but over time it was decided to erect a protective covering so that natural phenomena would not spoil the priceless paintings.

The famous paintings of the Sistine Chapel... this is its soul. The same spiritually rich inner world that I spoke about at the very beginning. The footprint of three Renaissance giants - Raphael, Botticelli and Michelangelo. An invaluable gift left to us as an inheritance. A living legend, a miracle, so carefully preserved for five centuries, so that today we can say: “Yes, miracles are where people believe in them and the more they believe, the more often they happen.”

Interior decoration

As I already said, the miracle of the chapel lies in three great names. Three unique artists, each of whom contributed to the painting of this church. Some to a greater extent, some to a lesser extent, but these three giants played their special role in making the phrase “Sistine Chapel” the most famous phrase in the world.

But, gentlemen, we understand that all this would never have happened if Pope Sixtus had not reconciled with Lorenzo de’ Medici. After all, all three of the above-mentioned masters were representatives of the Florentine school of painting. And, of course, not one of them would have crossed the threshold of the chapel if the Pope had not tamed his pride.

Now let me tell you about the participation of each of the three geniuses in this grandiose project.

And we'll start with Botticelli.

Frescoes by Sandro Botticelli

I think many of you know the painting "The Birth of Venus".

So this masterpiece is the creation of the hands of an outstanding artist of the Renaissance, an Italian - Sandro Botticelli, whose real name was Sandro Filipeli.

Botticelli (or “barrel” in Italian) is a nickname he inherited from his fat older brother.

Sandro very quickly gained fame as a talented portrait painter and became famous not only in Florence, but also beyond its borders. Pope Sixtus IV, impressed by his work, ordered the artist to be placed in charge of the project for painting the Sistine Chapel, which by that time had already been completed.

And so in 1481, a group of masters led by Botticelli arrived in Rome. The company was small, only 3 artists: Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, and “The Barrel” himself. Plus several of their assistants.

Another, fourth and final “person involved” in this case, Pietro Perugino from Umbria, arrived earlier and had already begun work on the chapel.

At that time, Perugino was one of the most famous masters and was among the best artists in Italy. By the way, his most famous student was Raphael.

But let's return to our topic.

The task was to paint the walls of the papal church with frescoes drawing a parallel between the stories of Moses and Jesus Christ, as a connection between the Old and New Testaments. The artists zealously got to work. The work lasted a year, and as a result, 16 paintings were created, 4 of which have not survived to this day for certain reasons.

And now we will take a closer look at these wall paintings, included in the World Heritage List and located on the second tier. Perhaps they fade somewhat against the backdrop of Michelangelo’s grandiose ceiling and his “Last Judgment” scene, but believe me, without these unique images the chapel would not be such a holistic and stunning spectacle.

I will tell you about the northern and southern walls, which, when entering the papal church, will be located to your left and right, respectively.

Second tier

• North side – dedicated to the cycle of the history of the Savior and includes 6 frescoes, including one fresco by Botticelli, which I will dwell on in more detail. Let's look at each of them, starting from the altar and moving towards the exit.

Baptism of Christ (Perugino)

Temptation of Christ and the cleansing of the leper (Botticelli)

The fresco depicts three episodes from the Gospel.

• The first (top left) - the devil, disguised as a hermit, persuades Jesus to turn stones into bread and satisfy his hunger.
• The second (top center) is the devil, under the guise of the same hermit, trying to force Jesus to throw himself down from the top of the temple to test God's promise of angelic protection.
• Third (top right) - the devil on the top of the mountain promises Jesus wealth and power if he rejects God and worships him, Satan. Jesus drives the devil away, and then he appears in his true form.
• In the foreground we see a young man healed of leprosy, who comes to the high priest of the Temple in order to reveal this miracle and talk about his cleansing. A young man holds a sacrificial cup in his hands. Two women offer other ritual objects - sacrificial birds and a bundle of cedar firewood. The priest symbolizes Moses, the young man symbolizes Jesus, who shed his blood to atone for human sins and was healed through resurrection.

Calling of the First Apostles (Ghirlandaio)

Sermon on the Mount (Rosselli)

Presentation of the keys to the Apostle Peter (Perugino)

The Last Supper (Rosselli)

The cycle ended with the fresco "Resurrection" by Ghirlandaio on the wall above the exit. But the fact is that in 1522 a beam, the so-called architrave, collapsed, and this fresco was destroyed. I had to redraw it. The reigning Pope at that time, Gregory XIII, commissioned other, little-known artists to paint on the same theme.

• South wall – the story of the prophet Moses, also consisting of 6 frescoes. Let me show them to you. The direction, as in the case of the northern wall, is from the altar to the exit.

The Journey of Moses to Egypt (Perugino)

The Calling and Trials of Moses (Botticelli)

Several episodes from the life of Moses are depicted here.

• On the right, the prophet kills an Egyptian overseer who mocked the Jews and goes into the desert.
• In the center of the picture, Moses helps the priest's daughters approach the well; he drives away the shepherds who did not let the girls in
• In the upper left corner, the prophet takes off his shoes and hears the voice of God commanding him to return to Egypt and free his people
• In the lower left corner is a scene of Moses leading the Jews to the Promised Land.

Crossing the Red Sea (Rosselli)

Moses receiving the Tablets of the Covenant (Rosselli)

Punishment of the rebels (Botticelli)

The main theme of the picture is the rebellion of the Levites against the rule of Moses and his brother-companion Aaron.

• On the right are Moses, the rebels and Joshua (not to be confused with Jesus Christ!), blocking their path.
• In the center we see the prophet in the papal tiara, who drives out the conspirators.
• On the left, the earth absorbs the leaders of the conspiracy

In my opinion, what is remarkable is the fact that this fresco is located opposite the episode “The Presentation of the Keys to St. Peter,” which was intended as a symbol of the legitimacy of papal power. Thus, “Punishment of the Rebels” is a kind of message and even a warning to the treacherous who are planning to encroach on the power of the Holy See

Death and testament of Moses (Luca Signorelli - one of the assistants to the main masters)

The cycle ended with the fresco of “The Dispute over the Body of Moses” by Signorelli on the wall above the exit. But as I already said, in 1522 an unpleasant incident occurred with the collapse of the architrave and, along with Ghirlandaio’s fresco “The Resurrection,” this scene from the life of Moses was destroyed. Subsequently, it was also reanimated by other, little-known artists, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII.

Well, gentlemen, we have studied the second tier of the Sistine Chapel and now, if you are lucky enough to get into this treasury of world art, you will not even need an audio guide, you yourself will be able to tell anyone what is depicted on the northern and southern parts papal church.

Third tier

But your story will be incomplete if we do not take a closer look at the third tier, the one with arched windows. Look higher, do you see male images in the openings between the windows?

These are portraits of the first pontiffs, and they were made by the same masters that I just told you about - Botticelli & Co.

Here is an example of a portrait of Pope Sixtus II by Botticelli.

There are 12 images on each side, and 4 more are on the wall above the entrance along with the two frescoes I mentioned earlier. This is what it looks like:

The remaining 4 portraits of popes were buried under the Last Judgment fresco. But I’m sure the world is not mourning this. These sacrifices were justified by the priceless masterpiece that Michelangelo left us as a legacy.

Ceiling and Last Judgment by Michelangelo

It all started with construction excavations that took place in 1504 near the Sistine Chapel. As a result of these actions, the ceiling of the papal house church was severely damaged and covered with cracks. Reconstruction began, which led to the need to update the ceiling painting (at that time it was sparkling stars in the night sky). However, the reigning Pope Julius II had a different idea.

Larger scale. On a grand scale, so to speak. He decided to paint the vault in a new and most majestic style.

Address: Vatican
Construction: 1473 - 1481
Architect: Baccio Pontelli
Builder: Giorgio de Dolci
Coordinates: 41°54"10.7"N 12°27"15.8"E

Short story

What comes to a person's mind when the Vatican is mentioned? Generally, these are the Catholic faith, the Pope and St. Peter's Basilica. And the Sistine Chapel is the venue for the conclaves of cardinals, at which the new pontiff is elected, and one of the most magnificent monuments of Renaissance art.

The sails of the Chapel vaults amaze with huge paintings depicting biblical characters, prophets and sibyls. In the four corners of the vault, on the curved surface of the formwork, Michelangelo depicted the stories of the salvation of the people of Israel. The arches above the windows are decorated with portrait frescoes of Christ's ancestors.

Michelangelo Buonarroti is a brilliant master of the Renaissance. He took on this complex project, accepting the order of the Pope, although he always said that he was more of a sculptor than a painter. Nevertheless, it was a challenge to Michelangelo's skill, and he accepted it. In just 5 years, working almost alone, he created a great masterpiece - the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Fragment of the ceiling painting - “The Creation of Adam”

In 1999, the frescoes underwent careful and thorough restoration. Today, a person who visits the Chapel can see with his own eyes the beautiful paintings on the walls, the intricate mosaic of the floor, on which the processions of cardinals walk on their way to the Papal Throne, and the huge altar scene “The Last Judgment” behind it, stunning in its expressiveness and drama (by the way, also painted by Michelangelo, only 25 years later). And most importantly, passing from the entrance to the altar, the visitor can plunge into the world of biblical scenes, consistently unfolding before his eyes on the vault of the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel is a former church in the Vatican, which was built in 1473 - 1481 by the architect Giorgio de Dolci and named after Pope Sixtus IV. Nowadays conclaves are held here to elect a new pontiff. The chapel is also a museum of Renaissance works and is famous for the paintings of the artist Michelangelo Buonarroti.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel as a work of art

In 1508, Pope Julius II set the young sculptor Michelangelo a difficult task - to paint the vault of the Sistine Chapel in the shortest possible time. At that time, the artist was 33 years old and had never done wall painting before.

Getting to work, Michelangelo Buonarroti built a stage near the ceiling - and either lying or standing, throwing his neck back, painted the frescoes. The paintings under the vault of the Sistine Chapel depict nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, which are divided into three groups:

• I - creation of the World;
• II - the creation of Adam and Eve, their fall and expulsion from Paradise;
• III - trials that befell all humanity.

Frescoes by Michelangelo Buonarroti in the Sistine Chapel

The first composition that Michelangelo completed is called “The Flood” - a worldwide catastrophe that befell people. In the center of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is the fresco “The Creation of Adam”, where God touches the hand of the first man, giving him life. This painting is one of the most famous in the history of world painting. Another theme of the central work is “The Creation of Eve”, and the final one is “The Fall and Expulsion from Paradise”.

A quarter of a century after Michelangelo Buonarroti presented his works to Rome under the vault of the church, the new pontiff Paul III assigned him a new task. The artist had to paint the walls of the Sistine Chapel. This is how the greatest fresco “The Last Judgment” appeared, executed in 1537 - 1541.

The technique for painting such a large-scale painting was that the entire fresco was divided into fragments in the Sistine Chapel - a total of 450 squares. In the upper part, Michelangelo depicted angels, in the center - Jesus and the Virgin Mary surrounded by the blessed. Particular attention is drawn to the lower tier, where the End of Times and the Last Judgment are depicted - sinners are descended into Hell, and the righteous ascend to Paradise.

1. From the outside, the Sistine Chapel is an unremarkable 15th century church, similar to a typical fortification.

2. Before Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel was painted by such masters as Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli. After 27 years, the young artist had to restore some of the paintings of his predecessors or apply his own frescoes on top.

3. In medicine, the term “Sistine Chapel Syndrome” appeared - loss of consciousness when the head is suddenly thrown back. To view a masterpiece from the ceiling, you need to throw your head back, which compresses the vertebral arteries and disrupts blood circulation to the brain. A person with this disorder loses consciousness.

4. In 1940, the Lascaux cave with ancient rock paintings was discovered in southwestern France, and it was soon called the “Sistine Chapel of primitive painting.” Scenes from the Late Paleolithic era are painted on the stones; the images are approximately 20 thousand years old.

5. It is known that the young artist Michelangelo reluctantly took up the job of painting the Sistine Chapel, this is evidenced by the lines from the poem he wrote: “For my work I only received a goiter, an ailment... Yes, I wedged my chin into the womb. The chest is like that of a harpy; the skull, to annoy me, has climbed up to my hump, and my beard is standing on end, and mud is flowing from my hand onto my face...”

6. In the book “Secrets of the Sistine Chapel,” Benjamin Blech and Roy Doliner give their interpretation of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s frescoes and reveal the true meaning of the images.

Tourist information: opening hours, tickets to the Sistine Chapel

Operating mode: Monday - Saturday - from 9:00 to 18:00 (ticket office open until 16:00).
Ticket price: 16 euros (full); 8 euros (preferential).
Visiting rules: Photos and videos are prohibited.

100 meters from the Sistine Chapel is another famous landmark of the Vatican - St. Peter's Basilica.

Construction of the Sistine Chapel began in 1473 on the initiative of Pope Sixtus IV (in fact, the name of this landmark came from his name). Initially, there was already a papal house church on this site - Cappella Maggiore, but due to the acute political situation, it was decided to strengthen and rebuild it. At that time, the Pope was in confrontation with the powerful Florentine Medici family, and in addition he feared an attack by the Ottomans, and the beautiful chapel was conceived as a defensive fortification.

It was in these circumstances that the architect Baccio Pontelli designed this castle-church, and Giorgio de Dolce began construction. However, at the moment when interior finishing was required, the situation changed. The papal throne entered into an agreement with Lorenzo Medici, and after reconciliation, the arrival of the Florentine geniuses Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, who painted the walls and ceiling of the temple, became possible.

In total, the church took about 8 years to build, and then work on the interior decoration lasted another 2 years. In 1483 it was finally consecrated, and 9 years later the Conclave met here for the first time to choose a new pontiff.

The next Pope, Julius II, decided to restore the existing frescoes and supplement them with new paintings, for which purpose in 1508 he invited Michelangelo Buonarroti. It is interesting that the master himself considered himself more of an architect and sculptor than an artist - painting was a new and poorly mastered activity for him. It is believed that initially for these purposes they wanted to call another star of the Italian Renaissance - Raphael Santi (by the way, he also had a hand in the design). But be that as it may, Buonarroti worked on the ceiling, and 9 paintings from the “Book of Genesis” became one of the master’s best works.

Since Michelangelo worked on the painting for about 4 years, and during this period it was impossible to stop the services, the artist had to develop for himself special “flying” scaffolding, which was fixed right under the ceiling and did not interfere with the movements of people below.

A quarter of a century later, the 60-year-old artist once again returned to the arches of the Sistine Chapel to create another masterpiece - his famous “Last Judgment.” This huge fresco at the altar took more than 4 years, from 1536 to 1541. But the result was worth it - there is a legend that Pontiff Paul III was so shocked by the expressiveness of the painting that he fell on his knees in front of it in prayer.

Interesting fact: there is an opinion that Buonarroti's candidacy for painting the ceiling was proposed by his eternal enemy and rival Bramante - he wanted the master, who rarely painted, to be disgraced. However, not all historians agree with this version.

Today, the walls and ceiling of the chapel are considered an important historical heritage and are protected not only by the pontificate, but also by UNESCO. It itself remains a functioning temple and at the same time a very popular tourist destination - all excursions around the area end here.

Murals

Appearance

As already mentioned, the outside of the Sistine Chapel looks much more modest than the inside. But this building has one interesting feature - its parameters exactly repeat the dimensions of the legendary Temple of Solomon described in the Old Testament. The three-story building is 40.9 meters long and 13.4 meters wide. It stands on the foundations of an older papal church.

Sistine Chapel from the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

According to the architect's idea, the first floor was intended for worship, and the second and third were to house guns and soldiers. In particular, on the third floor you can still see narrow loophole windows - through them it was supposed to conduct targeted fire. Initially, the upper tier had no roof at all, and only when unique frescoes appeared in the temple, it was decided to make it covered so that dampness would not destroy the creations of great artists.

It is the second floor that interests tourists the most - spacious, with high ceilings and large lancet windows. They make the building look lighter from the outside, and also provide a lot of natural light to explore the interior. After all, there is something to see here - the walls are decorated not with banal angels, but with huge detailed paintings depicting fragments of Holy Scripture.

Interior decoration

Initially, 16 frescoes were painted on the walls of the Sistine Chapel, but two of them were destroyed when the architrave fell, and two more had to be removed to make way for Michelangelo's monumental Last Judgment. A total of 12 paintings have been preserved - on the northern side there are scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, and on the southern side there are frescoes based on the life of Moses. This layout of the painting was intended to demonstrate the connection between the Old and New Testaments.

Above the subject frescoes in the openings between the windows there is a row of portraits - these are images of pontiffs of the early Christian period who died a martyr's death and were canonized. And the lowest tier of the hall (under the frescoes) was previously hung with tapestries made based on the subjects of Raphael’s paintings. However, to this day, only 7 paintings have survived, which are stored in the museum. Instead of original tapestries, the lower part of the walls is decorated with copies, but these are visible to visitors only on major holidays.

Ceiling and Last Judgment by Michelangelo

When finishing the main hall, its vault was painted in the form of a starry sky, but during the reign of Julius II, restoration of the cracked painting took place, and it was decided to redo the ceiling. Michelangelo Buonarroti worked on it for more than 4 years, depicting a total of 343 biblical characters.

The central part of the vault is occupied by 9 paintings illustrating the stages of the creation of the world, the creation of Adam and Eve, their fall, as well as the Flood, the sacrifice and the intoxication of Noah. These are the nine famous scenes from the Book of Genesis. They are surrounded by triangles and lunettes with images of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, and between them are inserted portraits of famous biblical prophets and sibyls. Finally, in the corners of the vault you can see 4 scenes: the battle of David and Goliath, the punishment of Amman, the plot with Moses and the copper serpent, as well as Judith and Holofernes.

Today this painting evokes admiration, but it is known that the customer, Julius II, on the contrary, showed dissatisfaction - they say that the ceiling looks too poor, there is not enough shine. To which Michelangelo wittily retorted: the saints were poor people, where does brilliance come from?

Vault diagram

As for the Last Judgment, which occupied the entire wall behind the altar, this painting was completed after the death of Julius II. It was commissioned by Clement VII, who wanted to contribute to the decoration of such an important Vatican hall. However, this pontiff also died before the master could begin the commission, and Michelangelo began work only during the reign of Paul III. The artist, already at the advanced age of 60 (this is a lot for Renaissance Italy), painted such a huge picture with only one assistant, and even used him only for mixing paints.

In total, about 400 figures are depicted on the canvas, which tells about the second coming of Christ. As with the ceiling, the work took over four years and was completed on the same date as the painting of the ceiling.

Interesting fact: Michelangelo, being a connoisseur of the human body, depicted many characters naked, but there were critics who were outraged by the “indecent” picture. A quarter of a century later, the artist Daniele da Volterra had to finish painting the capes and loincloths on the “Last Judgment,” for which he remained in history under the ironic nickname “pants writer.”

How to get to the Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is located on the territory of the Vatican in the very center of Rome. This building ends the western wing of the museums, where the Arazzi Gallery is located, as well as the galleries of geographical maps and candelabra. It is easy to get here by different means of transport.

The exact address: 00120 Vatican City, Rome.

From the central railway station TERMINI:

Option 1

Metro: From TERMINI station, take line A to Cipro Musei Vaticani station.

On foot: walk from the station for about 10 minutes via Via Candia and Via Frà Albenzio.

Option 2

Metro: from TERMINI station get to S.Pietro station, which is located on lines FL5 and FL3.

On foot: walk from the metro station along Via Innocenzo III, then through the Vatican territory or bypass via Via Sant’Anna - travel time is about 20 minutes.

Option 3

On foot: From the railway station, go along Piazza dei Cinquecento, then along Viale Enrico de Nicola to the Volturno/gaeta stop (journey time 5 minutes).

Bus: Take route number 492 to the stop Bastioni Di Michelangelo.

On foot: from the stop through Piazza del Risorgimento in 4 minutes get to.

From Fiumicino Airport:

Option 1

Bus: Take the Sitbusshuttle in 50 minutes to get to Via Crescenzio, 2 (flights depart once every 30 minutes).

On foot: walk from the stop along Via Crescenzio, and then turn onto Via del Mascherino to St. Peter's Basilica - travel time is about 15 minutes.

Option 2

Train: Take the FM1 train line to TERMINI station.

Metro: Take the red line from TERMINI station to Cipro Musei Vaticani station.

On foot: Walk from the metro station along Via Candia and Via Frà Albenzio for about 10 minutes.

In addition, you can get from different parts of the city by buses No. 23, 32, 49, 81, 247, 490, 495, 590 and tram No. 19.

Sistine Chapel on the map

Opening hours and ticket prices

As a rule, the Sistine Chapel is visited along with a tour of others - this is where excursion tours usually end. However, if you wish, you can visit this attraction separately.

Schedule:

• Monday through Saturday.

Opening hours:

• From 09:00 to 18:00 (entrance until 17:30).

Night tour - museum visits and concert:

• From 19:00 to 23:00.

All museums, including the chapel, can be visited with a single ticket, which is purchased at the box office. Perhaps - in this case, a voucher is purchased on the Vatican website, which will then be exchanged for a ticket at the box office. Such a reservation allows you to quickly enter the museum territory and avoid standing in queues.

Ticket price for an independent visit:

• Adult - 17 € ( ~1,197 rub. );
• Child (from 6 to 18 years old) - 8 € ( ~564 rub. );
• Night tour - 38 € ( ~2,677 rub. ) and 29 € ( ~2,043 rub. );
• Audio guide with description in Russian - 7 € ( ~493 rub. );
• ~282 rub. ).

You can also buy tickets with breakfast or lunch at the Vatican. But keep in mind that in order to be in time for breakfast at 08:15, you need to be at the entrance at 07:15.

Ticket price with guide:

• Adult ticket - 33 € ( ~2,325 rub. );
• Child ticket - 24 € ( ~1,691 rub. ).

Important: On the last Sunday of the month, free entry to the Sistine Chapel is allowed; the opening hours on this day are from 09:00 to 14:00.

Virtual tour

The Sistine Chapel is a truly unique place with a special atmosphere. Some people try to get here on church holidays to hear the world-famous Capella Papale choir, while others choose a weekday and morning tour to look at antiquities and great works of art without a crowded crowd. In any case, a visit to the heart of Rome will remain in your memory forever. Moreover, this temple is far from the only attraction of the Vatican; within one excursion you can see all its museums and, of course, St. Peter's Basilica.

) ;
Electronic booking - 4 € ( ~282 rub. );

Ticket price with guide:
Adult ticket - 33 € ( ~2,325 rub. );
Child ticket - 24 € ( ~1,691 rub. )

Schedule

Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00 (entrance until 17:30).
Night tour: from 19:00 to 23:00.

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Painting of the Sistine Chapel (BriYYZ / flickr.com) In the courtyard of the Sistine Chapel (robertsharp / flickr.com) Sistine Chapel from St. Peter's Dome, Vatican (Andy Hay / flickr.com) Michelangelo's famous fresco "The Last Judgment" (Dennis Jarvis / flickr. com) Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Sistine Chapel Ceiling Painting (Colin Tsoi / flickr.com) Camille King / flickr.com Camille King / flickr.com Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com) Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Lisa Cancade Hackett / flickr.com Inside the Sistine Chapel (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com) Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the VaticanMatthew Riley / flickr.com Still from a documentary (Luis Brizzante / flickr.com)

The Sistine Chapel is not only a church located in the Vatican City area of ​​Rome, but also a greatest work of art.

The word “kapella” is translated into Russian as chapel. But the Sistine Chapel is not a chapel due to certain specific features. This is the real Vatican church.

The design of the chapel contains many scenes from the Bible from the creation of the world to the apocalypse. A huge number of characters are depicted here, starting from Adam. Famous artists and architects such as Michelangelo, Perugino, Botticelli, Penturicchio, Ghirlandaio worked on it.

The Sistine Chapel was built and decorated with paintings during the Renaissance. Michelangelo Buonarroti is the author of the most famous frescoes in the Vatican that have survived to this day (one of the most famous is “The Last Judgment”).

The Sistine Chapel was built in the 15th century, from 75 to 83. The construction of the Sistine Chapel was ordered by Sixtus IV, who was then sitting on the papal throne of the Vatican. Although under this pontiff the Inquisition appeared, heretics were tried, and apostates were regularly burned, however, he had a good attitude towards science and art.

Sistine Chapel with St. Peter's Dome, Vatican (Andy Hay / flickr.com)

Among the local population there were dissatisfied with the rule of the pope, so the new Sistine Chapel was also supposed to become a refuge, among other things. By the way, there used to be a Great Chapel on this site; all that remains of it is the foundation and a fragment of the lower tier.

During construction work, the Sistine Chapel grew by 3 floors. The architect of the chapel was Baccio Pantelli, and the curator of the construction was Giorgio de Dolce.

Since the church also had a defensive function, outwardly the Sistine Chapel looks quite inaccessible and modest. It was built in the shape of a rectangle according to the Biblical description of the Temple of Solomon, which is considered the very first in history. The dimensions specified in the Old Testament are strictly observed: 40.9 meters by 13.4.

Inside view

From the inside, the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is divided into three parts - tiers.

The middle tier depicts Biblical scenes with the participation of Moses and Christ. It was designed by the artists Botticelli, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli.

Ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel (Colin Tsoi / flickr.com)

The upper tier was decorated with images of the ruling pontiffs. 11 of them are the creation of Botticelli. Among them is the first Pope of the Vatican - St. Peter.

On the lowest tier are the regalia of the Vatican Pontiff. The fresco “Ascension of Mary” towered above the altar; currently the Last Judgment is depicted here.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was designed to resemble the sky with stars. All these are the works of Renaissance artists.

Perhaps the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican would have survived to this day in the form in which it was in those days. But a crack appeared in the ceiling at the beginning of the 16th century as a result of excavations for construction taking place nearby. And all the frescoes were subsequently replaced by the famous works of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Who painted the Sistine Chapel?

8 years after the start of construction, the Sistine Chapel began to fulfill its functions. The first mass was celebrated here in 1483, glorifying the Ascension of Mary into heaven.

Still from the documentary (Luis Brizzante / flickr.com)

At the beginning of the 16th century, they decided to reconstruct the church and replace the old frescoes with new ones. Julius II commissioned Michelangelo Buonarroti to paint the chapel.

At first, the famous artist did not want to take on this work, but the pontiff knew how to insist on his own.

Why he chose Michelangelo is not known for certain, because at that time the artist specialized in sculpture. There is a version that Bramante somehow influenced the then reigning pope.

An interesting fact is that the year Michelangelo was born and the year the construction of the Sistine Chapel began are the same. In 1515, Pontiff Leo X ordered tapestries from another artist, Raphael, to decorate the lower part of the chapel.

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel: painting and frescoes by Michelangelo Buonarroti

By the way, the scaffolding that was necessary for painting the chapel was also designed by Michelangelo so that it did not interfere with church services. This type of scaffolding was later used to work on the design of other Vatican churches.

It was difficult for the master to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel; he had to constantly raise his head. Therefore, the work took a very long time.

Such difficult work, which lasted several years, had a very adverse effect on the health of the great master. But he got the job done and painted 600 square meters of ceiling in 4 years. They depict 343 characters from the Bible, starting with Adam.

Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com)

The vault was completed in 1512 and the church was opened. At the same time, another outstanding artist, Raphael, was finishing his “remnants” of the Vatican. These two works: Michelangelo's vault and Raphael's frescoes are the greatest works of art of the Renaissance.

Instead of the shining stars of the sky, many biblical images appeared on the ceiling, starting from the creation of the world. The space itself is divided into parts. The artist used the art of optical illusion to make the ceiling appear convex.

Painting of the Sistine Chapel (BriYYZ / flickr.com)

In the corners you can see scenes dedicated to the salvation of the Jewish people. These are the Old Testament stories “The Brazen Serpent”, “David and Goliath”, “The Execution of Haman”, “Judith and Holofernes”. In the central part there are images dedicated to scenes from the Old Testament, that is, the period starting from the creation of the world and the appearance of the first man Adam. There are nine of them in total. Famous works among them: “The Creation of the World”, “The Fall” and “The Flood”.

“Creation of the World” includes all 7 days, including: “Separation of light from darkness”, “Creation of heavenly bodies and plants”, “Creation of Adam”, “Creation of Eve”.

The fresco depicting God's creation of Adam is quite famous. In it, Adam lies on the ground, his posture feels weak, and in the sky, slightly towering above Adam, God is depicted surrounded by wingless angels. God reaches out to Adam.

It is assumed that when Adam touches the creator, he will come to life. With a touch, the Lord gives Adam his strength. Along the perimeter of the chapel are prophets and sibyls seated on thrones. In addition, here you can see images of Jesus' predecessors. And all this splendor is contained within the vault of the Sistine Chapel.

Sistine Chapel fresco "The Last Judgment"

The most famous and called masterpiece is the fresco called “The Last Judgment”. Michelangelo began working on it 25 years after painting the vault, already at the age of 61. It was commissioned from the great master by Pontiff Clement VII. The artist worked on it for four years. It is very different from others, for example, from The Creation of the World.

Michelangelo's famous fresco "The Last Judgment" (Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com)

The Last Judgment fresco depicts a universal tragedy and catastrophe, where there are numerous images of saints and angels, sinners and demons. At the center of all this stands Jesus Christ, he looks menacing and merciless, he carries out a great judgment on people.

The entire fresco depicting the Last Judgment is divided into three parts. Angels occupy the top. In the center is an image of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The bottom of the fresco illustrates the ascension of the righteous and the fall down into the underground Hell of sinners. Also here you can see the resurrection of the dead.

Frescoes by other authors

On the remaining walls you can see frescoes by other authors. For example, on the north side there is a whole series of works by Perugino, which used to begin with a fresco illustrating the Nativity. Unfortunately, it was lost while Michelangelo was working on The Last Judgment.

Inside the Sistine Chapel (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com)

The series now begins with a work entitled "Baptism" and illustrates the entire earthly life of Jesus. And it ends with the image “The Last Supper.”

In the background of this painting one can see scenes depicting the execution of Christ. The resurrection is already illustrated on the side of the entrance to the church.

On the opposite wall there was originally a series of frescoes by Perugino about Moses. These are scenes from the Old Testament illustrating the most key moments of this story. Among them: “Journey to Egypt”, then “The Killing of the Egyptians”, “The Burning Bush”, “The Fight with the Shepherds”.

The space between the windows is occupied by frescoes depicting the high priests, turned in profile. These are works by Botticelli, Perugino, Russell and Ghirlandaio. The eastern wall is decorated with scenes from the end of the life of Christ and Moses.