26 000+ reviews
Tour the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel with a knowledgeable guide by your side. Make the most of your 3-hour visit with skip-the-line access to both sites in the Vatican.
Best price:
€52
90+ reviews
Experience an early-morning live guided tour of the Vatican Museums and avoid the crowds. This tour allows access to all the main galleries and buildings, including the Sistine Chapel.
Best price:
€52.80
90+ reviews
Join an evening tour after visiting hours and explore the Vatican Museums with an expert English-speaking guide by your side. Avoid the crowds and take in the beauty of the Sistine Chapel frescoes and many more highlights.
Best price:
€85
The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, in Vatican City. It is primarily known as the site of the papal conclave, where the new pope is selected. Aside from hosting religious ceremonies though, the Sistine Chapel is distinguished for its celebrated frescoes on the interior walls and ceiling, which are considered masterpieces of the Renaissance era. The Sistine Chapel is regarded as a symbol of the papacy and the Vatican's rich cultural heritage.
The construction of the Sistine Chapel on the site of the Cappella Magna, the Great Chapel, took place between 1473 and 1481. It was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, from whom it takes its name. The designer of the papal chapel was Baccio Pontelli, while Giovanni dei Dolci overlooked the construction.
While the Sistine Chapel appears unassuming on the outside, its interior walls and ceiling have been painted by some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance era.
The side wall frescoes which depict the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ were painted by Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli in time for the first mass in the chapel, in 1483.
The Sistine Chapel’s crown jewel, however, is the ceiling painting and the Last Judgment fresco by Michelangelo. Although the Florentine artist was mostly known as a sculptor, both paintings are considered deeply influential landmark works of High Renaissance art.
Michelangelo’s paintings of scenes from the Book of Genesis that decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are regarded as masterpieces and some of the greatest works of art in history.
Completed over a period of about four years in 1512, the iconic frescoes posed many challenges to the Renaissance artist; from disagreements with the Pope over what was to be depicted, to the ceiling curvature and dampness hampering the creating process.
You can learn more about the history, methods and choices made for the iconic Sistine Chapel ceiling on our blog-post.
