Inside the Vatican Museums in Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel is known for Michelangelo’s ceiling and altar-wall frescoes. Look up for scenes from Genesis, including the Creation of Adam, then take in The Last Judgment behind the altar. The chapel’s walls also hold 15th-century paintings by artists including Botticelli, Perugino and Ghirlandaio. It remains the setting for the conclave that elects a pope, so this is both a place of worship and a major encounter with Renaissance art. Advance tickets can help you avoid long queues.
A chapel commissioned by Sixtus IV
The chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere, who commissioned work on the building in the late 15th century. It was previously known as the Cappella Magna. The chapel was built under Sixtus IV, and its walls received paintings by leading artists of the period, among them Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli.
Those wall paintings are easy to overlook when attention goes straight to Michelangelo’s ceiling. Give them a look as well: they are part of the chapel’s original artistic program, not simply a backdrop to the later frescoes.
Michelangelo’s ceiling and altar wall
Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling. Work took place from 1508 to 1512, with scenes drawn from the Book of Genesis. The Creation of Adam is the best-known image, but the ceiling includes other episodes from the Old Testament, including the Fall of Man and the story of Noah. Prophets and sibyls also appear among the painted figures.
Michelangelo returned to the chapel decades later to paint The Last Judgment on the altar wall, completing it between 1536 and 1541. Its subject is Christ’s second coming and the judgment of humanity. The crowded composition rewards a slower look. As you take in the ceiling, remember to turn your attention to the altar wall and the paintings along the sides of the chapel.
Part of a Vatican Museums visit
The Sistine Chapel is visited as part of the Vatican Museums, rather than as a separate stop with its own entrance. It comes toward the end of the museum route, after galleries that include ancient sculpture, tapestries and maps. The museums are extensive, so decide in advance which rooms matter most to you and leave enough time to reach the chapel without rushing.
The chapel has a religious role as well as an artistic one. Cardinals meet here during a conclave to elect a new pope; the result is traditionally announced by smoke from the chapel’s chimney. Keep the setting in mind while visiting, follow the dress code, and leave photography for outside. Advance booking is recommended because queues can be long.
Preguntas frecuentes
Where is the Sistine Chapel?
It is inside the Vatican Museums in Vatican City, within the Apostolic Palace.
What is the Sistine Chapel famous for?
Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes, including the Creation of Adam, and his altar-wall painting, The Last Judgment.
Can you visit the Sistine Chapel without going to the Vatican Museums?
The chapel is visited as part of the Vatican Museums and lies toward the end of the museum route.
Can you take photos inside the Sistine Chapel?
Photography is not allowed inside the chapel.
