Ascending up the final steps of the stairway, I could sense
the growing excitement of the crowd.
Throughout the day, ones mind becomes overwhelmed with numerous
sculptures and frescos, with the anticipation of the final room keeping
everyone moving forward. Walking into
the chapel, you are immediately drawn to the work of art spread across 1,100
square meters (12,000 square feet). Due
to the age (500 years old on Nov 2) and sensitivity of the paint to dust, heat, and light, the room is air conditioned,
and the windows are covered.
Arguably the most famous chapel in the world, the Sistine
Chapel lies within the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. Michelangelo Buonarroti was commissioned by
Pope Julius II in 1508 to repaint the ceiling of the Chapel. While it was originally painted as golden
stars on a blue sky, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint only 12 figures,
the Apostles. He turned down the commission because he saw himself as a
sculptor, not a painter. The Pope offered to allow Michelangelo to paint
biblical scenes of his own choice as a compromise. After the work was finished,
there were more than 300 figures displaying the creation, Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden, and the Great Flood. The
ceiling work was completed between 1508 and November 2, 1512, with The Last
Judgment being painted by Michelangelo between 1535–1541. For 500 years, the
ceiling has withstood the test of time, through natural disasters and
conflicts, and is widely believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievement in
painting. 
One of the primary functions of the Sistine Chapel is as a
venue for the election of each successive pope in a conclave of the College of
Cardinals. On the occasion of a conclave, a chimney is installed in the roof of
the chapel, from which smoke arises as a signal. If white smoke appears,
created by burning the ballots of the election, a new Pope has been elected. If
a candidate receives less than a two-thirds majority, the cardinals send up black
smoke—created by burning the ballots along with wet straw and chemical
additives—it means that no successful election has yet occurred.
Visited by over 5 million people last year (15,000 per day),
the Vatican Museums are among the greatest museums in the world, displaying
works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church
throughout the centuries, including some of the most renowned classical
sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the
world. The four Raphael's rooms in the
Palace of the Vatican form a suite of
reception rooms, the public part of the papal apartments. They are famous for
their frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop. Together with
Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, they are the grand
fresco sequences that mark the High Renaissance in Rome.
Saint Peter's Basilica is the church located within Vatican City which remains
one of the largest churches in the world and is regard as one of the holiest
Catholic sites. In Roman Catholic
tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, one of
the twelve apostles of Jesus and, also according to tradition, the first Bishop
of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and
some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the
altar of the basilica. The dome of St.
Peter's rises to a total height of 136.57 meters (448.1 ft) from the floor of
the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is not only the highest
building in Rome,
but the tallest dome in the world.
The Pietà (1498–1499) is another masterpiece of Renaissance
sculpture by Michelangelo, housed in St. Peter's Basilica. It is the only piece Michelangelo ever
signed, which depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the
Crucifixion.
Vatican City
is an impressive place to visit (it is actually its own country). The history, numerous artifacts and frescos
in the museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and Square, leaves your
mind overwhelmed with information, but definitely worth the wait in long lines (which were much shorter than during the peak summer travel).
