Original chapel, “Cappella Magna”:

• Gaucelin de Pradelhe (?)

Sistine Chapel:

• Giovannino de’ Dolci e Baccio Pontelli

Cappella Magna:

• circa 1377

Sistine chapel:

• 1477-1480

Length:

• 40.23 m

Width:

• 13.40 m

Height:

• 20.70 m

First floor of Papal Palace

The Sistine Chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, was originally known as the Cappella Magna, which dated to 1377. The chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480.    The Pope entrusted the rennovation work to Giovanni de' Dolci and Baccio Pontelli .
    A first phase of decoration was carried out between 1481 and 1483. Then in 1508, Pope Julius II (1503-1513) commissioned Michelangelo to fresco the vault with a figurative cycle inspired by the Book of Genesis. The work was inaugurated by Pope Julius II on All Saints Day in 1512.
The Last Judgment was commissioned by Clement VII (1523-1534), but it was Paul III (1534-1549) who inaugurated the project in April of 1535 when the scaffolding was built. The task lasted from 1536 to 1541 .
Since 1878, the Sistine Chapel has been the seat of every papal conclave, before then it was used in 1513 for the election of Leo X (1513-1521), in 1623 for the election of Urban VIII (1623-1644), and twelve more papal elections until 1775. In the past various liturgical feasts were celebrated in the Sistine Chapel such as First Vespers for Corpus Christi, Christmas Eve Matins and Palm Sunday Mass.

Conclave video;

Chimney stack for papal elections;

Video of cardinal’s procession entering conclave;

Images and projects