Sistine Chapel Facts: A Brief History of This Popular Attraction

Every single day, around 25,000 people visit and marvel at the Sistine Chapel.

Are you planning your trip to Rome? Make sure you do your research to make the most of your trip and appreciate the chapel in all its glory.

The Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican City which is a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy. The Roman Catholic Church is headquartered here and this is where the Pope lives.

Every Sunday, the Pope gives a short speech from an apartment over Saint Peter’s Square. In this article, you’ll find a few Sistine Chapel facts that will map out a brief history of this beautiful attraction:

Where the Sistine Chapel Gets Its Name

Where the Sistine Chapel now stands, another chapel once stood. It was called the Cappella Magna but in 1473, Pope Sixtus IV restored it and built the Sistine Chapel. Hence, this new chapel was named after him.

Giovanni dei Dolci was the architect in charge of the restoration which was completed in 1481.

Interestingly, the exterior of the chapel is very simple and is said to be the same dimensions as the destroyed Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem.

Botticelli and Rosselli Decorated the Chapel

The Italian painters, Sandro Botticelli, and Cosimo Rosselli were commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV to paint the Sistine Chapel.

They are responsible for the side walls’ large fresco paintings in the chapel. Rosselli painted The Descent from Mount Sinai which took one year to create.

It shows Moses receiving the Ten Commandments and was created with the help of Rosselli’s assistants.

Meanwhile, Botticelli’s painting depicts Popes that were martyred along with scenes from the Bible including moments from Jesus and Moses’ lives.

Michelangelo Makes Changes in 1503

It wasn’t until a new Pope arrived that the beautiful ceiling we see today was commissioned. In fact, before Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo, the ceiling was just a regular blue sky painted with stars.

Julius II insisted that the reluctant sculptor, Michelangelo, must redecorate the chapel in 1503. This was a job he didn’t want to undertake as he did not consider himself a painter.

It took almost half a decade to paint the ceiling in the chapel and, unfortunately, this work took its toll on Michelangelo’s eyesight.

When touring the Sistine Chapel, look out for the nine different scenes from Genesis. You can’t miss The Last Judgment either painted between 1536 and 1541.

Sistine Chapel Facts Are Endless

The Sistine Chapel is open every day between 9 am and 4 pm except for on Sundays when it is closed. It is advised that you arrive early in the day to avoid crowds.

To reach the Sistine Chapel, you need to pass through every one of the Vatican Museums which can take around half an hour on foot. There is so much to learn about the Vatican City, it feels as though the Sistine Chapel facts alone never end!

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