25 fascinating facts about the Sistine chapel

25 fascinating facts about the Sistine chapel

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The Sistine Chapel is one of Rome's most famous and prized historical sites.

Located in Vatican City and Museums, it welcomes around 25,000 visitors a day.

Michelangelo's world-famous ceiling frescoes are of course the main attraction, forming a masterpiece with astonishing beauty.

Even though cameras are banned in the chapel, the visit will remain in your mind!

Here are 25 fascinating facts about Sistine Chapel for you to have more reasons to visit this stunning attraction.

The Sistine Chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned its construction on the foundation of the original Capella Magna in 1477.

The chapel is the same size as the Temple of Solomon, as described in the Old Testament.

Before work began on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508, it was adorned with a blue night sky with golden stars, painted by Umbria artist Piero Matteo d’Amelia.

Michelangelo only reluctantly accepted the commission of painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, since he considered himself a sculptor first and foremost.

Michelangelo struggled with the physical stress of his work and in 1509 he even wrote a poem about it, complaining to his friend Giovanni da Pistoia "I have had a goitre since.

It is often believed that Michelangelo painted the ceiling while lying on his back, but in fact he built his own scaffolding system so that it could be painted upright for more accuracy and control.

The area of the ceiling of the Sistine chapel occupies about 1/6 of a football field - about 12,000 square feet.

Michelangelo's artworks are not the only works on display in the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo worked on the fresco for four years and left God until the very end - he wanted to perfect his technique first to portray Him perfectly.

God is depicted as an elderly man with gray hair - this image that inspired Christian paintings in the centuries to come.

The church wall has another famous painting: The Judgment of the Last.

Amazingly, Michelangelo finished the entire ceiling without being able to see his entire work, as the scaffolding remained in place until the last minute.

Although the frescoes have proven to be very durable, a small portion of the sky in Noah's flight depictions has been missing, due to an explosion at a nearby gunpowder warehouse in 1797.

There has been much analysis of the fables and representations in the paintings.

Another example is the portrait of St. Bartholomew, in The Last Judgment, holding on to his flaky skin.

Many of the nude paintings in frescoes have caused controversy in the past.

During major restoration efforts in the 1980s and 1990s, many of these additions were removed, revealing many previously unprecedented details.

Acorns form a repeating motif in frescoes.

The Sistine Chapel is such an acclaimed historic building that more than five million people visit it every year - the same as Norway's population!

The Sistine Chapel is also used as the Pope's private chapel, increasing the number of visitors.

The College of Cardinals meets at the Sistine Chapel to submit the oath every time a new pope is elected, as they have since 1492.

There is a small room next door nicknamed the Room of Tears.

Cameras are prohibited during the tour to protect the paintings.

Please dress appropriately when visiting churches, covering your shoulders and feet below your knees.

The biggest danger posed to the Chapel is invisible to tourists: sweat, carbon dioxide and skin scales of 25,000 visitors a day.

The Sistine Chapel will forever be one of Rome's most famous attractions thanks to the sheer scale and exceptional artistry of its masterpieces.

It is protected by papal traditions in its place in Vatican City and remains one of the most important religious destinations in the world.