Sistine Chapel

Executive summary by darmansjah

Sistine Chapel is a large and renowned chapel of the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480. Since that time, the chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today it is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new Pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, and most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.

During the reign of Sixtus IV, a team of Renaissance painters that included Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli, created a series of frescos depicting the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ, offset by papal portraits above and trompe l’oeil drapery below. These paintings were completed in 1482, and on 15 August 1483 Sixtus IV celebrated the first mass in the Sistine Chapel for the Feast of the Assumption, at which ceremony the chapel was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Between 1508 and 1512, under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, a masterpiece without precedent, that was to change the course of Western art. In a different climate after the Sack of Rome, he returned and between 1535 and 1541, painted The Last Judgement for Popes Clement VII and Paul III. The fame of Michelangelo's paintings has drawn multitudes of visitors to the chapel, ever since they were revealed five hundred years ago.

Discover one of the most beautiful and storied sites in the world with skip-the-line access to the Vatican. On this fantastic 3-hour tour you will see the Vatican Museums, the exquisite Sistine Chapel and the dramatic St. Peter's Basilica.

Take a 3-hour tour of one of the holiest sites in Christendom on this guided walking tour of the Vatican Museums. This exceptional tour includes a comprehensive visit to the Sistine Chapel, tour of the Maps Gallery, Candelabra Gallery, Pio Clementino's Rooms, Tapestry Gallery, Belvedere Courtyard, Pine Courtyard and much, much more within the Vatican corridors.

One of the most interesting and beautiful sites in the world, your expert and fully-licensed guide will take you to some of its major attractions, as well as to some lesser known spots that other tourists often miss. You will receive a broad base for understanding the remarkable history, architecture, and politics of the Vatican.

The walking tour goes beyond the gold, pomp and stateliness, revealing a history full of dark tales of deceit and lust. Get a taste of it all as you uncover the nitty gritty and the high and mighty, the dirty politics and the ethereal beauty of this most remarkable of Renaissance creations. A world of discovery awaits you.

Good to Know

St. Peter's is closed to the public on Wednesday from 8:00-12:00. During this time the tour will not include St. Peter's Basilica.

• At the Vatican, please abide by the dress code and keep shoulders and knees covered. This dress code is strictly enforced and you may be refused entrance if you do not follow it.

• Tickets for the Vatican Museums cost EUR 23 for adults and EUR 16 for students under 26 holding an ISIC card. The ticket fee has to be paid directly on the day of the tour to the tour guide in cash. This ticket fee already includes EUR 4 ticket booking fee and EUR 2 for headsets.

• On 24 and 31 December, the tour will not include a visit to St. Peter's Basilica.

• Please be advised that on Fridays, the 15:00 and 19:30 options don't include a visit to St.Peter's Basilica, as it's closed, but the tour will visit other sections of the museums.

• Please note that this tour is not wheelchair accessible, due to the route taken through the Vatican Museums.