Interesting Facts about The Sistine Chapel and The Vatican
Hey guys! My name is Gabby Kadoo and I am extremely excited and blessed to be going on this adventure abroad to Europe with you all!! I am a Senior at FGCU planning to graduate in December with a degree in theatre. My partner is Alec Taylor, who is a junior that also attends FGCU as a double major in Theatre and Communications, and today for you, we would like to share some interesting sights when visiting Vatican City as well as some facts that you may not know about the Sistine Chapel!
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| Vatican City |
Vatican City is an independent city-state that gained its independence from Italy on February 11th, 1929 through the Lateran Treaties and was always considered sacred land as it was never inhabited for long periods of time. After Caligula began erecting the obelisks, more and more people began to migrate to the area, and it eventually attracted religious figures. The first palace was built in the 5th Century, and eventually the Vatican began to house the Pope by the year 1870.
The Capella Sistina or The Sistine Chapel was named after the Pope that commissioned it, Pope Sixtus IV, who had the chapel built between 1477 and 1480.This Chapel is known as the Pope's private chapel and is visited by some 25,000 people each day. The first Mass was conducted on August 15, 1483 by the same Pope it was commissioned by.
Sistine Chapel
Michaelangelo and The Sistine Chapel
When we think of the Sistine Chapel, the first person that comes to mind is Michaelangelo! Right?! Well, Contrary to popular belief, Michaelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel in its entirety.
Yes, the Sistine Chapel is most famous for Michelangelo’s frescoes, or water color paintings, but long before Michelangelo, Sixtus commissioned painters such as Botticelli to fresco the two long walls of the chapel. One side of the chapel told the story of Moses while the other the story of Christ.
Southern wall
Northern Wall
In 1508, the Pope that commissioned the work of Michaelangelo was the Nephew of Sixtus. Michaelangelo was working on the tomb of Pope Julius II, and when called to create an image of the 12 apostles, the artist dismissed the idea as poor. He was not excited to paint the ceiling in a chapel. Furthermore, he considered himself to be more of a sculptor as opposed to a painter.
He still accepted the job, and for the next for years the artist set out to create this beautiful ceiling masterpiece, as well as the alter wall in the Gorgeous, Sistine Chapel.
The ceiling of The Sistine Chapel
The Last Judgement (on altar wall in Chapel)
The Vatican
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| The Vatican Obelisk in St. Peter Square |
The Vatican Obelisk was taken by Caligula from Heliopolis in Egypt to decorate his spina for his circus. What makes this piece so interesting is that it is one of the only found obelisks to not have a form of hieroglyphics engraved on it. It's also the only remaining obelisk in Rome that has not toppled since the Roman Empire. In other words, you can't find a structure like this anywhere else in Rome. Legend has it, that there used to be an old sphere-like vase at the top of the obelisk, and it contained the ashes of Julius Caesar
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| The domed roof of St. Peter's Basilica |
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| The Vatican Museums |
The final sight to see when visiting would be the Vatican Museums. During the time Julius II was Pope, he began collecting multiple different pieces of artwork since he was a patron of famous artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael. Because Julius had an immense amount of pictures, he became the founder of Vatican Museums in the 15th Century. Since then, it became the National Museum of Vatican City and is the 5th most visited art gallery in the world.
These are only a few of the many other sights to see within this small 110 acre piece of land. Not only is Vatican City a great spot to take a couple of pictures or go sight seeing, but it's also a place to learn and gain a deeper knowledge about the Christian faith. Even if you aren't a religious person, taking the time to learn of our past and how Christianity influenced the United States is super important. The land may be small, but the history we as a group can take from this place could actually be very, very big.
Sources:
Vatican. “The Holy See.” Vatican.va, w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html.
“Guide to the Best Things to See in Vatican City.” As We Saw It, 3 Dec. 2018, www.aswesawit.com/vatican-bucket-list-ideas/.
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