The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican: description, history, architectural features. The Sistine Chapel - the Vatican's spiritual treasure Ceiling and the Last Judgment by Michelangelo

In the Vatican palace complex in Rome, a monument of Italian Renaissance art. Built by the architect G. de Dolci in 1473 81, consecrated in 1483 under Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it got its name. In 1481 83 walls ... ... Art encyclopedia

Chorus of choristers, founded in the XV table. Pope Sixtus IV. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov AN, 1910. SISTINE CHAPEL chapel in the Vatican (papal palace in Rome), built in the half of the 15th century. under Pope Sixtus IV; ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

In Rome, the former home church in the Vatican (1473 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, a monument of architecture and art of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with paintings by S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio and others (walls of the Sistine Chapel, 1481 ... Modern encyclopedia

The Sistine Chapel- in Rome, the former home church in the Vatican (1473 - 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, a monument of architecture and art of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with paintings by S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio and others (walls of the Sistine Chapel, ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Cappella Sistina) in Rome, the former home church in the Vatican (1473 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, an outstanding monument of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with wall paintings (1481 83, S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio, etc.), a vault with ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

The Vatican in Rome, one of the most prominent monuments of Italian Renaissance art. The rectangular building was built by the architect G. de Dolci in 1473 81 and consecrated in 1483 under Pope Sixtus IV, named ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

One of the house churches of the popes in their Vatican Palace in Rome, famous for its wall and ceiling paintings. Built in 1473, under Pope Sixtus IV, from which its name comes. Its architect was supposedly Baccio Pinteli. She… … Encyclopedic Dictionary of F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

- (Capella Sistina) in Rome, the former home church in the Vatican (1473 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, an outstanding monument of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with wall paintings (1481 83, S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio, etc.), ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

In the Vatican palace complex in Rome, a monument of Italian Renaissance art. Built by the architect G. de Dolci in 1473-1481, consecrated in 1483 under Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it got its name. In 1481 1483 ... ... Construction vocabulary

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Date of publication: 2014-07-20

The Sistine Chapel(Italian Cappella Sistina) - the former home church in the Vatican, where in our time a conclave is gathered for the election of the Pope. The attraction is famous for the magnificent frescoes of the great Michelangelo Buonarotti. The chapel is also decorated with paintings by such famous artists as Botticelli, Signorelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli.

Construction of the Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel was built between 1473 and 1483 in honor of Pope Sixtus IV. The building appeared on the site where the "Great Chapel" existed, in which the papal court, which consisted of about two hundred people (cardinals, representatives of various religious orders and noble families), gathered.

The architect Baccio Pontelli was chosen as the author of the chapel project, and all construction work was supervised by George de Dolci. The building was conceived by Sixtus IV as a place in the Vatican, where in particular dangerous times the papal court could have taken refuge from a military threat. Therefore, outwardly, the chapel looks like a simple building, more like a bastion than a typical church building.

The chapel has a rectangular shape and repeats the exact dimensions of the Temple of Solomon, as indicated in the Old Testament - 40.9 meters long and 13.4 meters wide. The walls are divided into three parts: the lower basement one is decorated with imitation of fabric draperies, the middle one is painted with frescoes, and the upper one is cut with window openings. The chapel is covered with an almost flat vault. The architectural simplicity and lack of decorative elements do not distract attention and are a great frame for the artistic masterpieces that adorn the chapel.

Frescoes of the vault of the Sistine Chapel

In 1504, as a result of construction excavations that were carried out near the chapel, the ceiling was covered with cracks. Its refurbishment and renovation meant that the frescoes (sparkling stars against the night sky) also needed to be updated. However, the current Pope Julius II decided to paint the vault in a new majestic style. To do this, he invited Michelangelo Buonarotti in 1508. It is interesting that art critics and biographers of the great master have not yet come to the final version of why the order was given to Michelangelo, who by that time was known exclusively as a sculptor, not a painter.

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Layout of the vault frescoes

During the work, Michelangelo had to use his technical abilities to design a new type of scaffolding that would not touch the previously painted walls and would not interfere with the services in the chapel. Subsequently, the design of Michelangelo's scaffolding became widespread and was used in the painting of many church vaults. The work on the frescoes proceeded slowly and painfully. The great painter stood in the woods with his head thrown back far back. Several years spent under the vault of the chapel had a detrimental effect on Michelangelo's health: he suffered from arthritis, scoliosis and an ear infection that developed from paint on his face.

Dividing the flat ceiling of the chapel into several parts, Michelangelo using optical means visually raised its center somewhat. The painting was completed in November 1512. Michelangelo portrayed both the beauty and the baseness of the human soul.

In the corner sails there are frescoes depicting four Old Testament scenes, where the artist illustrated some episodes of the miraculous salvation of the people of Israel: "David and Goliath", "Judith and Holofernes", "Execution of Haman" and "The Brazen Serpent". Along the perimeter of the ceiling, alternating are the figures of the Prophets and Sibyls sitting on monumental thrones. On the short sides there are images of the prophets: above the altar - Saint Jonah, on the opposite side - Saint Zechariah. Slightly lower, in the lunettes, are the figures of the predecessors of Jesus Christ. The central part of the vault is given over to nine stories from the Old Testament Book of Genesis about the origin of man, the Universe and Evil.

25 years after the completion of the painting of the vault, Michelangelo (at the age of 61) returned to the Sistine Chapel to complete one of his most complex and grandiose masterpieces. We are talking about the fresco painting "The Last Judgment", which was ordered by Clement VII. Michelangelo worked on the fresco for four years (from 1537 to 1541). The large-scale painting occupies the entire wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel. Its theme is the second coming of Christ and the apocalypse.

The painting of the Last Judgment represents a grandiose universal catastrophe, where the naked figures of angels, saints and sinners are carried away by a spontaneous and inexorable flow of energy, which they are powerless to resist. In the center of the composition is Christ endowed with titanic power, who with anger administers judgment over a person.

Conventionally dividing the frusque into three parts, Michelangelo depicts flying angels at the top holding the attributes of the Passion of Christ, in the center - Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, surrounded by the blessed, and the lower part is given to the scene of the end of times, where angels playing on the trumpets of the Apocalypse are depicted heaven are righteous and sinners cast out into Hell, and the resurrection of the dead is also shown.

Michelangelo left a kind of signature. In the scene of the martyrdom of the Apostle Bartholomew, holding his own flayed skin in his hands, the great master depicts his own face instead of the face of the martyr.

South wall frescoes

Initially, the painting of the southern wall began with a cycle of frescoes by Perugino on the life of Moses, the first of which was the painting "The Nativity of Moses". However, it was lost, and thus, today the cycle of frescoes illustrating the Old Testament begins with "The Journey of Moses into Egypt." This is followed by "The Murder of the Egyptians", "The Struggle with the Shepherds Who Attacked the Daughters of Jethro," "The Burning Bush," "Crossing the Red Sea," and "Transmission of the Tablet of the Law." The next panel contains a rather rarely cited episode of the Old Testament - "The Punishment of Korea, Dathan and Abiron", Jewish priests who denied Moses and Aaron as civil and religious authority over the chosen people. The last panel of the south wall shows the scenes: "The Inheritance of Moses" and "The Death of Moses." The final fresco "Discussion over the body of Moses" is located on the wall from the side of the entrance. Under each panel there is a story from the life of Moses corresponding to the scene. The walls between the windows are painted with frescoes depicting all the high priests. Such prominent painters as Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli and Domenico Ghirlandaio worked on them. The figures of the high priests are located in profile, some at the time of the blessing, they differ only in the presence of a book or scroll in their hands.

The north wall was given over to the story of the life of Christ. The cycle of frescoes by Perugino began with "Nativity", however, like on the south wall, it was lost in the course of Michelangelo's work on the painting "The Last Judgment". Currently, the painting of the north wall begins with the "Baptism" fresco, followed by "The Temptations of Christ" and "The Cleansing of the Leper." Next is the "Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew", "Sermon on the Mount" and "Handing over the keys", that is, the transfer of power from Christ to the Apostle Peter, his viceroy. The series of frescoes on this wall ends with the painting "The Last Supper", where three episodes from the Passion of Christ are visible in the background ("Prayer for the Cup", "Arrest of Jesus" and "Crucifixion"). The cycle of stories of the life of Christ ends with the fresco "Resurrection of Christ" on the wall from the side of the entrance to the chapel.

A chapel is a small church dedicated to members of the same family, residents of the same castle or palace. In Russian, the word "chapel" is sometimes translated as "chapel", but this is not entirely true. There is no altar in the chapels, and some church ordinances cannot be performed there. Whereas the chapel is a full-fledged church with a full range of attributes. The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is the most famous building of this type.

History of creation

The Sistine Chapel was built in 1475-1483 by order of Pope Sixtus IV, whose name it bears to this day. was a controversial figure. On the one hand, corruption and bribery flourished during his reign, it was during his reign that the Inquisition was introduced, and the first public

On the other hand, he became famous for encouraging the development of science and art. He moved the papal residence to the Vatican and did much to restore and improve Rome. On his initiative, a library and the world's first public museum were opened, and the Sistine Chapel was built to host the most significant ceremonies of the Catholic Church. In this place, a conclave of priests gathers now for

Architectural solution

In the 15th century, powers between the religious and secular government were not completely divided, and armed clashes occurred periodically. And ordinary parishioners, driven to extremes by exorbitant taxes, sometimes dared to openly express their anger. In this regard, the popes wanted to have a special refuge in the Vatican, where they could hide with their court in turbulent and troubled times.

At the request of Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel became such a refuge. from the outside it was supposed to look like a fortress, and the interior decor should emphasize the greatness and power of the papal power.

To solve these problems, a young architect from Florence Giovanni de Dolci was invited. He erected a building resembling a bastion in appearance and supervised the interior painting work.

The Sistine Chapel is a relatively small building (its area is only 520 m²), rectangular in shape, with a high (21 m high) vaulted ceiling. Its proportions, as conceived by Sixtus IV, resemble the proportions of the legendary Temple of Solomon, the first temple in Jerusalem.

Interior decoration

In 1480, Sixtus IV invited the most famous painters of the time to create the murals. The work was attended by Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlondaio, Luca Signorelli, and the young Pinturicio.

It took the artists two years to paint the walls of the chapel. The middle tier was occupied by images of scenes from the life of Moses and Jesus Christ. In the upper tier, in the piers between the windows, were placed portraits of the first popes, from St. Peter to Marcellus I. The lower tier, according to tradition, was left for hanging the pontiff's regalia.

Above the altar was a fresco by Perugino, The Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The ceiling was decorated with a star-strewn sky. These elements are known to us only in descriptions, because several decades after the opening of the chapel, they were replaced by Michelangelo's frescoes.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

At the beginning of the 16th century, a crack appeared on the canvas of the Sistine Chapel, extending along its entire length. Pope Julius II ordered to cover it up and ordered Michelangelo, who was working at that very time on statues for the future tomb of the pontiff, to cover the ceiling with frescoes.

Michelagelo Buonarroti, born in the year of the foundation of the Sistine Chapel (1475), was already a well-known sculptor in 1508. But it was unfamiliar to him. He tried in every possible way to evade this work, but Julius II managed to insist on his own. So, the famous Sistine Chapel got its finished form. Description, history of the creation of frescoes have become the subject of research for many generations of art critics.

The central part of the plafond is occupied by 9 successive scenes of the Old Testament, among them "The Flood", "The Fall", scenes of the creation of the first people (Adam and Eve) and others. Along the perimeter of these frescoes, the author depicted the prophets and sibyls, and on the side parts of the vault - the predecessors of Jesus Christ. In total, more than 300 characters were depicted, who today conquer with their power and physical beauty.

Researchers still cannot come to an unambiguous interpretation of these images. Some see them as a special interpretation of the Bible, others - a new understanding of the heroes of Dante's "Divine Comedy", while others are convinced that Michelangelo presented the stages of man's ascent from a sinful primitive state to the stage of Tatanism and divine perfection.

Fresco "The Last Judgment"

22 years later, Michelangelo was again invited to work on the design of the Sistine Chapel. In 1534, Pope Clement VII ordered him to paint the wall above the altar. As a result, the Last Judgment fresco was created, which art critics call one of the most ambitious in the entire history of world painting.

This time, the artist portrayed a person as weak and helpless in the face of imminent disaster. Not a trace remained of the former belief in the greatness and beauty of people. There is not a single life-affirming or admirable character in the Last Judgment scene.

In the center is Jesus himself. But his face is formidable and impenetrable. His hands froze in a vengeful gesture. The faces of the apostles, surrounding Christ on all sides, are also filled with anger. In their hands they hold instruments of torture, which do not bode well for the sinners sprawled before them.

Late finishing of paintings and restoration work

The Sistine Chapel is the greatest monument of monumental painting of the Renaissance. But even later corrections and additions are important historical evidence.

The scene of "The Last Judgment" with dozens of naked bodies was received ambiguously by the clergy from the very beginning. It is known that Pope Paul IV ordered Michelangelo's student de Volterra to cover intimate parts of the depicted figures with draperies, and Clement VIII ordered the destruction of the fresco altogether. It was possible to save her only thanks to the intercession of the artists. Attempts to finish painting clothes were also made in the 17th-18th centuries.

As a result, when at the end of the 20th century a group of specialists started to work, they faced a serious problem - which version of the painting should be restored. It was decided to leave the draperies, completed by de Voltaire at the end of the 16th century, and delete the rest of the edits.

After cleaning the frescoes from soot and dust, they shone again with bright colors. This made it possible to see the images in the form in which they were painted by the great masters of the Renaissance.

Answering the question of what a chapel is, it should be mentioned that this word is used not only to refer to a religious building. A chapel is a place in a cathedral where there are singers, a musical or singing ensemble performing sacred music, or even a professional musical institution such as the Academic Chapel (Petersburg, Moika Embankment, 20).

Perhaps this is the very case when the external appearance does not correspond to the internal content at all. The contrast between "packaging" and filling is too great. In my opinion, in all of Rome, but what is there in Rome, in all of Italy, you will not find such dissonance, such a violation of harmony, such a combination of incompatible ... 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 this is about. That's right, about the Sistine Chapel, which for me personally is an expression of the idea of ​​uniting the human soul and body. The personification of how rich and saturated the inner world of a person can be, with all its external simplicity and inconspicuousness.

So, the chapel. 21 years after its consecration, the 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. Still, no building can stand intact for 5 centuries. Even a fortress.

Let's stand a little by the chapel and take a closer look at its appearance.

External appearance

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

The building has a rectangular shape and exactly repeats the dimensions of the Temple of Solomon - 40.9 meters long and 13.4 meters wide. This is what the Old Testament says.

A fortress cannot have any special delights, unlike a palace, so everything is laconic, strict and ascetic. By the way, take a closer look. Does the chapel shape 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 solid and solid, with thick and high walls typical of the 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 guard room, so instead of windows there are many loopholes that served as openings for firing at a target. Once this room did not have a roof, the gallery was opened, but over time it was decided to erect a protective covering so that natural phenomena would not spoil the priceless murals.

The famous murals of the Sistine Chapel ... this is her soul. The same spiritually rich inner world that I spoke about at the very beginning. The trail of the three giants of the Renaissance - Raphael, Botticelli and Michelangelo. An invaluable gift left to us as a legacy. 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 said before, the miracle of the chapel lies in three great names. In three unique artists, each of whom contributed to the painting of this church. Some more, some less, but these three giants have played a 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 been reconciled with Lorenzo Medici. After all, all three of the aforementioned masters were representatives of the Florentine school of painting. And, of course, none of them would have crossed the threshold of the chapel if the Pope had not pacified his pride.

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

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 Renaissance artist, an Italian - Sandro Botticelli, whose real name was Sandro Filipeli.

Botticelli (or "keg" in Italian) is a nickname he inherited from his fat older brother.

Sandro very quickly gained fame as a talented portrait painter and became known not only in Florence, but also abroad. Pope Sixtus IV, impressed by his work, ordered to put the artist at the head of the project for painting the Sistine Chapel, which by that time had already been completed.

And in 1481, a group of craftsmen, led by Botticelli, arrived in Rome. The company was small, only 3 artists: Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, and "Keg" himself. Plus a few of their assistants.

Another, fourth and last "person involved" in this case, Pietro Perugino from Umbria, arrived in earlier and has already begun work in the chapel.

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

But back to our topic.

The task was as follows - to paint the walls of the papal church with frescoes, drawing a parallel between the stories of Moses and Jesus Christ, as the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. The artists zealously got down to business. The work lasted for 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 murals, included in the World Heritage List and located on the second tier. Perhaps they fade a little against the background of Michelangelo's grandiose ceiling and his Last Judgment scene, but believe me, without these unique images the chapel would not have been such a holistic and stunning spectacle.

I will tell you about the north and south walls, which at the entrance to the papal church will be on your left and right, respectively.

Second tier

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

Baptism of Christ (Perugino)

The 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) - the devil, disguised as the same hermit, is trying to force Jesus to throw himself down from the top of the temple in order 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 out the devil, and then he appears in his true guise.
• In the foreground, we see a young man, healed of leprosy, who comes to the high priest of the Temple in order to manifest this miracle and tell about his cleansing. The young man holds a sacrificial bowl in his hands. Two women bring other ritual objects - sacrificial birds and a bundle of cedar wood. The priest symbolizes Moses, the youth - Jesus, who shed his blood to atone for human sins and was healed through the resurrection.

The Calling of the First Apostles (Ghirlandaio)

Sermon on the Mount (Rosselli)

The handing of the keys to the Apostle Peter (Perugino)

The Last Supper (Rosselli)

The cycle ended with the Resurrection fresco 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. Pope Gregory XIII, who reigned at that time, made an order for painting on the same topic to other, little-known artists.

• South wall - the story of the prophet Moses, also consisting of 6 frescoes. Let me show you them. Direction, as in the case of the north wall, from the altar to the exit.

Moses' Journey to Egypt (Perugino)

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 daughters of the priest to 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 the scene of Moses leading the Jews to the Promised Land.

Crossing the Red Sea (Rosselli)

Moses' Receipt of the Tablets of the Covenant (Rosselli)

Punishment of the rebels (Botticelli)

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

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

In my opinion, noteworthy is the fact that this fresco is located opposite the episode "Handing the keys to St. Peter", which was conceived as a symbol of the legitimacy of the papal authority. Thus, "The Punishment of the Rebels" is a kind of message and even a warning to the treacherous who intend to encroach on the authority of the Holy See.

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

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

Well, gentlemen, we have explored the second tier of the Sistine Chapel and now, if you are lucky enough to find yourself in this treasury of world art, you will not even need an audio guide, you yourself will be able to tell anyone what is depicted in 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 up, see the male images in the openings between the windows?

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

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

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

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

Ceiling and the 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 badly damaged and covered with cracks. Reconstruction began, which led to the need to update the ceiling painting (at that time, these were sparkling stars in the night sky). However, the reigning Pope Julius II had a different idea.

More ambitious. On a grand scale, so to speak. He decided to paint the vault in a new way and in the most magnificent style.

On August 15, 1483, Pope Sixtus IV consecrated the Sistine Chapel. At that time, it was not yet decorated with the brilliant works of Michelangelo. At that time, the future great artist was only eight years old. However, even before Michelangelo painted the ceiling with his amazing frescoes, the Sistine Chapel played an important role in the Vatican.

1. The chapel was built for worship and defense

The construction of the chapel began in 1475 (interestingly, this coincided with the year of Michelangelo's birth). The building was to become a place for religious gatherings of representatives of the clergy and local elite. The construction was completed around 1481. The project involved strong high walls to be able to defend against any possible attacks on the Vatican. The project of the church was created by the architect Baccio Pontelli.

2. The chapel may be a recreation of an ancient temple

According to many scholars, the main hall of the chapel is an exact copy of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. According to the Bible, "the temple that King Solomon built was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and thirty cubits high", which roughly corresponds to the size of the main hall of the Sistine Chapel (approximately 40x13x20 meters).

3. Mass is still held in the chapel today

Named after Pope Sixtus IV, who consecrated it and celebrated its first Mass on August 15, 1483, the Sistine Chapel was built to be the Pope's personal chapel, and it continues to do so today. It is also the seat of the papal conclave, where new popes are elected by the College of Cardinals.

4. Michelangelo is not the only artist whose works decorate the chapel

Before the Sistine Chapel was officially opened, the Pope ordered artists from other cities (Sandro Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli and Pietro Perugino) to paint the interior walls with frescoes. As a result, the painting work was completed around 1481. Of these early works in the Sistine Chapel, false curtains, scenes from the history of Moses (south and entrance walls) and Christ (north and entrance walls), as well as portraits of the Popes (throughout the chapel) are still preserved.

5. The original ceiling was pretty simple

The most famous work of the chapel was completed only a few decades after its opening. The original ceiling looked like a blue sky with golden stars. It was the work of the artist Piermatteo d "Amelia.

6. Michelangelo's ingenious creation appeared thanks to a crack

In 1504, construction work near the chapel led to cracks in the chapel ceiling. The cracks were repaired, but this violated the picture of the starry ceiling d'Amelia. Pope Julius II (nephew of Sixtus IV) decided to hire a new artist to repaint the ceiling and in 1508 his choice fell on Michelangelo Buonarroti.

7. Michelangelo did not consider himself a good artist

Michelangelo considered himself exclusively a sculptor. When the Pope commissioned him to work on the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo insisted that he had no artistic talent and, in fact, was put in an awkward position because he could not refuse the Pope's request. But despite doubts about his abilities, Michelangelo did an excellent job. He was originally supposed to draw the 12 apostles, but convinced the Pope to let him do something much grander. He ended up painting the entire 1,115 square meter ceiling, as well as other segments of the chapel walls.

8. Michelangelo was very worried about the assigned work

Even after he proposed his ambitious plan to the Pope, Michelangelo was still not sure if he could carry it out. This was not surprising, since he did not have the slightest experience in painting frescoes. As a result, Michelangelo began to create his masterpieces from small finished fragments, which he asked to evaluate people close to him.

9. Special forests

Michelangelo and his team developed special scaffolding that allowed him to paint on the ceiling while remaining upright rather than lying on his back. The myth that the artist painted lying down arose from the inaccurate biography of Michelangelo, written in 1527 by Bishop Giovio. It used the word resupinus, which means "bent back", although some have interpreted it as "lying on your back."

10. Michelangelo painted the chapel for 4 years

Even in spite of the specially designed scaffolding, the painting of the chapel ceiling turned out to be a very difficult job. It took Michelangelo four years to complete the project. This was reflected even in his subsequent poems.

11. The paint was damaged by mold

In the midst of writing his frescoes, around January 1509, Michelangelo faced great difficulties in his work. The lime became too wet and mold and mildew began to form on it. Most of the work already completed was destroyed. Legend has it that Michelangelo went to the Pope and said: "I warned Your Holiness that I am not an artist. What I did was ruined." But the Pope ordered him to continue working. Michelangelo had to scrape off all the spoiled painting and start all over again from the beginning ..

12. Michelangelo painted without sketches

Despite the complexity of his ambitious plans, Michelangelo worked, as they say, "on the fly." When painting the Sistine Chapel, he painted everything without sketches.

13. Image of God

For modern viewers, Michelangelo's description of God as a bearded man (seen in the central part of the work on the ceiling) looks rather canonical. But it was so unique and shocking at the time that many people simply did not understand who this bearded old man was.

14. No photography allowed inside the chapel

More than 4 million people visit the Sistine Chapel every year. Despite the avalanche of tourists, there is a strict rule inside the building: filming in the main hall is prohibited.

15. Mexico has a replica of the Sistine Chapel

If someone wants to take cool photos of Michelangelo's work, he should go to Mexico. The Vatican has approved the creation of a full-size replica of the main hall of the Sistine Chapel, which opened in Mexico earlier this year. Capilla Sixtina en México cost $ 2.4 million, all internal work have been painstakingly recreated by copying over 2.6 million photographs.