His Holiness Pope Frances passed away on Easter Monday aged 88. The Papal Conclave will be held at Sistine Chapel in Vatican. Here are 7 things you need to see when visiting Sistine Chapel next time.
Located in Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel is the Pope’s private chapel and the site of papal conclaves. Built in the 1470s, it’s still used for important religious ceremonies and selecting new Popes
The ceiling was painted by Michelangelo between 1508–1512. It depicts scenes from Genesis, including the iconic Creation of Adam. He worked lying on scaffolding, enduring physical strain to complete the masterpiece.
Michelangelo returned in 1536–1541 to paint The Last Judgment on the altar wall. It’s a dramatic depiction of the second coming of Christ and the final judgment of souls, filled with emotion, motion, and controversy.
The chapel's art is done in fresco—a method where pigments are applied to wet plaster. This technique requires speed and precision, as corrections are difficult once the plaster dries.
Besides Michelangelo, early Renaissance artists like Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino painted the side walls with scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ, adding rich narrative and style diversity.
The artwork is rich with Christian symbolism, tying Old and New Testament themes. The visuals offer deep theological messages, linking creation, sin, and redemption in a single artistic journey.
Botticelli was among a group of top Florentine artists commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV in the 1480s to decorate the chapel’s side walls. This was before Michelangelo worked on the ceiling.
He painted three major frescoes:
