Sistine Chapel

In Rome, the Sistine Chapel is named for Sixtus IV della Rovere, who was Pope from 1471 to 1484. The chapel's interior walls are covered in exquisite frescoes painted by some of the greatest Italian artists in history, including Perugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, and of course Michelangelo, who painted the stunning frescoes which adorn the ceiling. The chapel is not only a work of art; it is, in fact, still used as a site of papal religious activity—the election of a new Pope takes place in the chapel, at an event called a conclave.

The fresco style of painting was used throughout the chapel. The word is derived from the Italian alfresco, meaning 'fresh'. Fresco painting is painted on a plaster surface, either wet or dry, depending on the painter's method. For the Sistine Chapel's frescos, layers of wet plaster were applied to walls and then painted over, allowing the pigments to soak into the plaster. This fresco painting style produces art that is vibrantly colored, and the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are no exception.

The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museum Collection, which is open every day except Sundays and religious holidays. The ticket price of four to twelve Euros includes admission to the Sistine Chapel and all museums in the Vatican Museums Collection. Note that taking photographs and touching walls in the Sistine Chapel is forbidden. These activities are forbidden to preserve the frescoes from color fading and erosion caused by bright lights and moisture.