The Sistine Chapel, Rome — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most extraordinary spaces in the world, a relatively small room that contains some of the greatest works of art ever created.

The chapel was built between 1473 and 1481 for Pope Sixtus IV (whose name it bears) and designed by Giovanni dei Dolci. The original wall frescoes were painted by a team of Renaissance masters including Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino, depicting scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ.

Then, in 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling. Michelangelo spent four years on the scaffolding, painting 343 figures across nine scenes from the Book of Genesis. The centrepiece, "The Creation of Adam," showing God's outstretched finger nearly touching Adam's, is arguably the most recognized image in all of art.

Twenty-three years later, in 1535, Michelangelo returned to paint "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall, a vast, dynamic composition showing the Second Coming and the judgment of souls. The painting features 391 figures and took six years to complete.

The Sistine Chapel is also the room where papal conclaves are held. When a new pope is elected, white smoke rises from the chapel's chimney.

The chapel is accessed through the Vatican Museums, and photography is prohibited inside. If you're on a Questo quest through Rome, the Sistine Chapel is a stop where looking up changes how you see everything that came before and after.