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The Sistine Chapel got its name from the pope at the time Sixtus IV. Sixtus is 'Sisto' in Italian.
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The dimensions of the Sistine Chapel are the same dimensions as the Temple of Solomon, on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, as described in the Old Testament of the Bible.
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The Sistine Chapel is 134 feet long, 44 feet wide, and 68 feet tall.
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The first Mass in the Sistine Chapel took place on August 15th, 1483. This was also the Feast of the Assumption. During this first Mass, the Sistine Chapel was consecrated, and it was also dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
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Artists that worked on the Renaissance frescoes included Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Roselli, and Sandro Botticelli.
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The Sistine Chapel, although a popular site for tourists, is also the pope's private chapel.
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Prior to Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, it had been painted by Piero Matteo d'Amelia with a blue sky and stars.
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While Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he stood on a platform that covered half the chapel. He was not able to stand on the floor and look up at his work, yet he still managed to create a work on a vast scale painting from only a few inches below.
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There are nine panels at the center of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo chose to paint stories in the Bible from Creation to Noah. He painted in reverse order so that his best work would be his depiction of God, after he had the experience of painting the rest of the frescoes first.
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The Pope is chosen by cardinals. This practice has existed since the 1100s.
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It is estimated that approximately 25,000 people a day visit the Sistine Chapel. This equals about 5 million each year. This brings in approximately 80 million Euros each year in revenue for Vatican City.
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The southern wall of the Sistine Chapel includes the paintings of the Stories of Moses.
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The northern wall of the Sistine Chapel includes the paintings of the Stories of Jesus.
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The eastern wall of the Sistine Chapel includes the Resurrection of Christ, and Disputation over Moses' Body paintings.
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Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel but he also painted the Last Judgement over the altar.
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