Sistine Chapel

View of the interior of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City
Photo by: beyond forgetting, Creative Commons

The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Italy is one of the most famous chapels in the world. It is also the official home of the Pope. The chapel is the final stop that visitors make when they are taking a tour of the Vatican Museums.
The Chapel has garnered much attention because of its amazing and intricate architecture and artwork that was carved and painted by some of the greatest artists of all time. It has a 12,000 square foot painted ceiling, parts of which were painted by Michelangelo. The paintings depict the life of Christ and Moses and took two to three years to complete. Other artwork by Raphael can be seen within the chapel. Because of these paintings, and the building’s purpose, the Sistine Chapel is considered a very holy and special place.
The chapel in the Vatican City is famous for its many of conclaves, or rooms. The most popular uses of the Sistine Chapel are the masses on Christmas Eve and Easter. During these days Vatican City is crowded with tourists and locals looking to be a part of the ceremonies.