When was the Sistine Chapel built?
The Sistine Chapel was built between 1473 and 1481 under Pope Sixtus IV, replacing an older chapel called the Cappella Maggiore on the same site. The first mass was celebrated there on the 15th of August 1483.
Questions about Sistine Chapel
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling and how long did it take?
Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512 under the patronage of Pope Julius II. The finished work covered a painted area roughly 40 metres long and 13 metres wide and contained more than three hundred figures.
What is The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel?
The Last Judgment is a fresco by Michelangelo covering the entire altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, painted between 1535 and 1541. It depicts Christ's second coming, the resurrection of the dead, and the assignment of souls to heaven or hell as described in the Book of Revelation.
How does the Sistine Chapel signal the election of a new pope?
A chimney is installed on the chapel's roof during a papal conclave. White smoke signals that a new pope has been elected; black smoke means voting continues without a two-thirds majority. White smoke is produced by burning ballots alone; black smoke by burning ballots with wet straw, with chemical additives used for both.
Who were the Renaissance painters who decorated the Sistine Chapel walls?
The wall frescoes were painted in 1481-1482 by Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Rosselli, and their workshops. The commission was given by Pope Sixtus IV and likely connected to a political reconciliation between the pope and Lorenzo de' Medici of Florence.
What was the controversy over The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel?
Cardinal Carafa and Monsignor Sernini organized a campaign to remove The Last Judgment because of Michelangelo's depiction of nude figures. The Pope's Master of Ceremonies, Biagio da Cesena, called it disgraceful. Michelangelo painted da Cesena's portrait into the scene as Minos, judge of the underworld. The genitalia were later covered by Daniele da Volterra, nicknamed Il Braghettone.