Sistine Chapel

Museum:
Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement” and “Creation of Adam” in the most beautiful and visited chapel all over the world.

History:
The Chapel’s name comes from Papa Sisto IV della Rovere who wanted to beautify it in 1480, with frescos of the greater painters of his age;  he picked up Alessandro Botticelli, Perugino and Ghirlandaio.
The Chapel’s shape rimembers the Salomon’s Temple described in the Old Testament, but  in this case the rectangular room, Long more than 40 meters, is divided by a barrier separing the altar from the public zone. The original gold gate has been replaced by a marble one, very similar to the overtopping choir stalls.

The vertical height is 20,70 meters, and twelve windows light the barrel vault that Papa Giulio II wanted decorated by the grater artist ever known: Michelangelo Buonarroti.
The assignment consisted in  representing the Twelve Apostles, but Michelangelo obtained the consent to change the fresco’s subject to his liking.
After five years of hard working on the scaffolds, in 1513 he accomplished his masterpiece: the “Stories of Genesis”. 

Despite of the controversy about the nakedness of several characters in the fresco  (which will be covered in a second time), in 1533 Papa Clemente called Michelangelo again to paint the altar wall.

The fruit of further five years of cares was the striking “Last Judgement”.