Vatican City
Sistine Chapel
Welcome to Vatican City! The Sistine Chapel is a special chapel where a brilliant artist named Michelangelo spent years painting an enormous, breathtaking ceiling.
Why is it famous?
Its ceiling, painted by the artist Michelangelo, is considered one of the greatest works of art ever created.
It is also where cardinals gather to choose a new Pope, in a tradition called a conclave.
How was it built?
The chapel itself was built in the 1470s, with plain stone walls and a huge open ceiling waiting to be decorated.
Michelangelo built tall wooden platforms along the walls so he could reach all the way up to the ceiling to paint.
Amazing facts
Michelangelo painted the ceiling almost single-handedly, standing on platforms and craning his neck upward for about four years.
The painted ceiling covers roughly 5,000 square feet — about the size of a whole gymnasium floor!
Quick facts
- Michelangelo painted the ceiling almost single-handedly, standing on platforms and craning his neck upward for about four years.
- The painted ceiling covers roughly 5,000 square feet — about the size of a whole gymnasium floor!
- The chapel's ceiling rises about 66 feet high, taller than a six-story building.
- Michelangelo was actually more famous as a sculptor before he ever painted the ceiling.