Even though the Sistine Chapel was named after the Pope who commissioned its construction, Pope Sixtus IV, the real fame of the chapel came to it much later when Pope Julius II commissioned an artist by the name of Michelangelo to take on the job of putting a painting on the 10,000 foot Sistine Chapel ceiling.

On your way to view the Sistine Chapel and its amazing ceiling, you’ll find many other amazing artistic delights. Nearby to the Chapel is the Vatican Museum – a marvel that should require you to spend at least 1 – 2 days exploring its treasures. Also, St. Peter’s Basilica (with its magnificent Dome) contains Michaelangelo’s “The Pieta” – another treasure of the great artist himself.

By comparison to many of the other huge buildings in Rome, The Sistine Chapel is relatively small at only 135 feet wide by 44 feet tall. But in this small building are some of the most important works of art in modern history – art works that any museum in the world would be eager to add to their collections. We can be grateful that the Vatican takes good care of these treasures as evidenced by the major restoration work that was done to the chapel between 1979 and 1999.

In addition to Michelangelo, many renowned artists are on display in the Sistine Chapel. Botticelli’s art works are on display there including his well known “The Punishment of Korah” and the 1482 “Life of Moses”. But a few steps away, you can also view works by true masters of the Renaissance period such as Ghirlandaio, Perugino and Rosselli.

But it is that magnificent ceiling that will hold your eyes for as long as you can look up. When the Pope commissioned Michelangelo to do this work, all that was there was a bland display of painted stars. It took Michelangelo four long and hard years of intense labor to complete his masterpiece. But the outcome is stunning, as he transformed that ceiling into a magnificent nine-panel master art work that is beyond compare.

For subject matter, Michelangelo drew from various characters of the Old Testament including Noah, a variety of male nudes, Sibyls and of course, the world famous image of Jehovah himself reaching out to mankind through Adam to give life at the touch of his divine finger.

The restoration that was done in the late 20th century brought back the stunning colors that most consider to be the work of one of the finest painters ever known. The writer Goethe described the ceiling beautifully when he wrote:

“Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving.”

To accomplish this amazing task of painting the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo had to design a new kind of scaffold to accommodate his needs. The paint nearly blinded him as he labored tirelessly on the project. And he had to use his impressive abilities to devise new innovations to get the job done, including a new kind of plaster which became known as intonaco. This new plaster resists mold and holds paint in place well which was crucial to the success of the Sistine Chapel. Intonaco is a plaster that is still very useful in modern building projects.

By 1512, the majority of the work on the painting was done. But to Michelangelo it was not complete until he came back 20 years later to add The Last Judgment. This part of the artwork took him from 1525 until 1541 to complete. Not only would your trip to the Sistine chapel be lacking if you didn’t spend time admiring this part of Michelangelo’s master work, but The Last Judgment is impossible not to notice as it fills the back wall of the chapel completely.

You will find The Last Judgment mesmerizing and full of interesting scenes, including a self portrait that shows St. Bartholomew having his skin flayed. Michelangelo’s images are so striking and challenging that they drew criticism from the powers that be at the time because he so frequently included nude figures in his work. It says something that Michelangelo won out in these disputes but it is tragic that later those art works were marred by censors who painted over the genitals of the nudes.

Art lovers or just curious tourists alike cannot possibly stand in the presence of such greatness and not be moved. So as you plan your trip to Rome, you would be remiss if you did not allow some time to visit the Sistine Chapel and take in the artistic masterpieces you will find there.