Vatican's Sistine Chapel: Fascinating Facts/Background

[TLCOhio]

Lots of TV news coverage this am on the Cardinals gathering and getting ready in Rome to elect a new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Shows such as the NBC Today program are trying to cover "it" like American Presidential campaigns. It is a unique form of "politics" to elect a new Pope, but NOT that kind in regular campaigns. Fortunately!! No TV ads, public debates, direct mail and/or robo calls. And to win, you need to get a two-thirds vote of the 115 Cardinals there who are locked out from TV coverage, cell phone use, texting, etc.

 

From the travel section of the Telegraph newspaper in London Friday, they have this headline: "Rome's Sistine Chapel: 50 fascinating facts" with this small sampling of these various highlights: "The Sistine Chapel – Cappella Sistina in Italian – takes its name from the man who commissioned it, Pope Sixtus IV: “Sixtus” in Italian is “Sisto”. Some 25,000 people a day, or five million people a year, visit the chapel. Entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel costs €16, an annual revenue for the Vatican of around €80 million or £70 million a year. Sisto’s chapel had the same dimensions, as described in the Old Testament, as the Temple of Solomon on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Sisto conducted the first Mass in the chapel on August 15, 1483. For such an important building the Sistine Chapel is remarkably plain outside – a high, block-like rectangular brick building without adornment. It has no grand façade and no processional entrance door: all entry points are internal, from other parts of the Papal Palace."

 

There are 44 other interesting details related to the Sistine Chapel in this news/travel article. This includes: "In 1978, Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) was the first non-Italian pope to be elected by a conclave in 455 years." Below are a few of my pictures of this famed chapel and related to Pope John Paul II during our June 2011 visit to Rome during our Solstice cruise detailed below on the the live/blog connection.

 

Good luck to those with upcoming visits to Rome and cruises in Italy this year.

 

Full story at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/rome/9917841/Romes-Sistine-Chapel-50-fascinating-facts.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 122,511 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here are two samples of Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. This is is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. This work was done between 1508 and 1512. First is a wider picture showing that this room is more than just the ceiling that is elaborately decorated. It includes the walls, floors, etc. The second picture focuses more on the center part with the famed image of the hand of God giving life to Adam. This often crowded chapel is 134' long by 44' wide, the dimensions of the Temple of Solomon. The vaulted ceiling rises to 68'.:

 

 

 

 

 

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica, this is a portion of the main floor area for where the body of the late Pope John Paul II has been moved. On May 3, 2011, he was give this new resting place in the marble altar in Pier Paolo Cristofari's Chapel of St. Sebastian. This prominent location is next to the Chapel of the Pieta. They completed this change as he was elevated and moves towards Sainthood. Crowds were big and busy inside this huge Cathedral, the world's largest.:

 

[Kidsoftheseas]

awesome info and awesome photos! how did you manage to score some photographs in Sistine?

Thank you for sharing!

[Northern Aurora]

TLCOhio: I often see your photos on the Celebrity message forum, and I always thoroughly enjoy them!

[TLCOhio]

awesome info and awesome photos! how did you manage to score some photographs in Sistine? Thank you for sharing!

 

Northern Aurora: TLCOhio: I often see your photos on the Celebrity message forum' date=' and I always thoroughly enjoy them! [/quote']

 

Appreciate the kind viewpoints on my pictures from both of you. Glad to know you are both persons of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.

 

On the pictures in the Sistine Chapel, those were taken in 1999. Since that point, they have gotten tougher on people taking pictures inside there. They have done some license/payment rights deal with a Japan company that funded some improvements there. In the past, they didn't not want people doing pictures there in part because it was super crowded and busy, plus many people can't control or turn off the flash on their cameras. Having too many people not knowing what they are doing snapping lots of pictures all lover the place can be a safety challenge.

 

Although I am not a Catholic, I still find St. Peter's to be so amazing, plus all of the other nearby bonuses, including their famed Vatican Museum, other special rooms, etc. So much great art, history and architecture there. Below are a few more of my visuals examples in this special area.

 

With all of the news coverage today and to come, we will be seeing lots more from these majestic settings. In the fourth picture, you can see the second-level, middle window where a Pope will be first presented to the masses in this grand square. I have been fortunate to have been there three times, 1970, 1999 and 2011.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 122,858 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

From inside St. Peter’s in Rome in June 2011, this is the view of the heart of this great Basilica and its magnificent dome by Michelangelo.:

 

 

 

After our private tour of the super historic Scavi under the Basilica and its lower grotto, we saw some of the crypts and this chapel below the main area.:

 

 

 

The art work in and around St. Peter’s is spectacular. Here might be the most famous, the Pieta, by Michelangelo. I first saw this in 1970 here, but now it is protected behind a large glass surface. The detail and beauty are impossible to describe or show.:

 

 

 

From St. Peter’s in Rome in June 2011, here are three more views. First is a wider, overall view of the Basilica and its magnificent dome by Michelangelo. Second is a tight view on the top of the front and part of the top dome with people shown who have gone up to this high vantage point. Finally, one of the dramatic side statues inside the Basilica.:

 

 

 

 

 

[Chelly]

Spectacular images!

Thank you so much for posting.

I'll be there for first time this October.

[TLCOhio]

Spectacular images! Thank you so much for posting.

I'll be there for first time this October.

 

Appreciate the nice comments on the pictures. The credit/glory goes to Rome and its wonderful history and architecture/design. Have a great time during your October visit. It will still be busy then. Lots of people and activity in this famed city. Don't forget the Vatican Museum. Below are some images for there.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 123,652 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

The Vatican Museum, founded in the early 16th century, is among the greatest museums in the world, displaying works from an immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries This includes including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and masterpieces of Renaissance art. Below includes a sampling from the Raphael rooms, art in the museum and some of the spectacular ceilings.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a small sampling of the Vatican Gardens as seen from just outside of the Vatican Museum. At the left is the Dome of St. Peter’s.:

 

 

 

Here are some of the outside columns and the crowd to hear the Pope. This morning, the new Pope, Francis, made his first address from this famed window. During our 1999 visit to Rome, one of these pictures shows Pope John Paul II addressing the crowd in the Square from his residence window. In this massive square, the setting and audience are large, the window and banner big, the sound system excellent, but the Pope seems "small" compared to everything else that is happening. During these addresses, the Pope will make greetings to various groups that are there from different countries in their native languages . Then, they cheer in response to that "shout out" by the Pope from his window. Very interesting, moving and unique experience for such a Papal address/performance, even for a non-Catholic like me.:

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

The Scavi is not exactly the Sistine Chapel, but the information and pictures below might be of interest to consider as people are planning their visit to the Vatican.

 

From CBS-TV news (and the AP) yesterday, they have this headline: "Pope Francis visits St. Peter's tomb under Vatican" with these highlights: "Pope Francis on Monday took an emotional, close-up look at the tomb of Peter, the church's first pontiff, buried beneath St. Peter's Basilica. Francis became the first pontiff to visit the necropolis, where pagans and early Christians were buried. The 45-minute 'visit of devotion to the tomb of St. Peter' was private, but the Vatican later released a video of it. The new pope 'paused in silent prayer, in profound and emotional meditation' in the Clementine Chapel in the vast basilica that is 'the closest place (in the basilica) to the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles,' it said. During a tour of the necropolis conducted by its director and an Italian cardinal, the pope 'climbed up a bit, got closer to the place where the tomb of St. Peter lies, exactly under the central altar and the dome of the basilica,' the Vatican said. Francis walked down the entire main street of the ancient city of the dead. The streets of the necropolis are similar to those of ancient Rome, only they are flanked by tombs instead of shops and apartments."

 

The below photos and the above story description give a good idea for the "look" and design for the parts of this Scavi area that we were fortunate to have experienced in June 2011.

 

Full AP story with many more details on this historic area can be found at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57577341/pope-francis-visits-st-peters-tomb-under-vatican/

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 125,631 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

In June 2011, we did our private tour of the super historic Scavi under the Basilica and its lower grotto, seeing some of the crypts and this chapel below the main area. Below is a picture of another “visitor” experiencing the Clementine Chapel located within the underground necropolis grottoes of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It’s the new Pope!! Below are other pictures of Pope Francis visiting this area. They allowed pictures to be taken of the Pope, but not us to do such photography there. I can understand why the Pope has different rules than what we were able to do. According to Catholic tradition, the area is the actual site where Saint Peter the Apostle was invertedly crucified and his blood was shed to the ground. The site is encased in the gilded altar and has a marble chest which contained the bones believed to be Saint Peter. The chest is considered by Catholic pilgrims to be the holiest part of the archeological basilica. The altar structure of the chapel was formally consecrated in 1123. A notable feature of the chapel are the ornate bronze sculptures located in the chapel commemorating certain biblical scenes. The chapel is the holiest site in the basilica, and the prime reason why the basilica was constructed in the first place. The area was once called Vatican Hill in honor of the ancient Etruscan worship of pagan deity. The area was once used as a Roman cemetery. The bones believed to be of Saint Peter are now presently enshrined at the underground balcony below Bernini's canopy, and under Michaelangelo's dome.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

Interesting information. What I find surprising about it is that they say Francis is the first pope to visit the necropolis. I wonder if that's really true?

[TLCOhio]

Interesting information. What I find surprising about it is that they say Francis is the first pope to visit the necropolis. I wonder if that's really true?

 

YES!! That super surprised me, too!! Since it was Pope Pius XII who ordered the original secret digging that resulted in the original tomb being discovered, I would have thought that this Pope would have been there at least once. Maybe more times. The necropolis was excavated during 1940-49. It all started because Pope Pius XI wished to be buried as close as possible to Peter the Apostle. Maybe more coverage will come out in the coming weeks about that good question.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 125,631 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Chelly]

I am absolutely in awe.

Thanks again.

[bobalink]

Terry,

AMAZING. Thanks for sharing your stunning photos and great information.

I want to go back and see it all again some day!

[katrina915]

Thanks so much for the pics and info. Going to Vatican for first time in Nov. Now I can concentrate on pushing Dad in wheelchair and guide and not worry about getting pics...

[mamaofami]

Love your pictures. Thank you for sharing them. I've been to the Vatacan and the Sistine Chapel and the ceiling is breathtaking.

[Keith1010]

Terry, I am catching up on Cruise Critic and liked enjoyed this thread with all of the photos and other information. Bravo.

 

Keith

[TLCOhio]

Terry, I am catching up on Cruise Critic and liked enjoyed this thread with all of the photos and other information. Bravo. Keith

 

katrina915: Thanks so much for the pics and info. Going to Vatican for first time in Nov. Now I can concentrate on pushing Dad in wheelchair and guide and not worry about getting pics..

 

bobalink: As always' date=' love your photos! Terry, AMAZING. Thanks for sharing your stunning photos and great information. I want to go back and see it all again some day! [/quote']

 

Appreciate the nice comments from Keith, Carol, Katrina, Bob, etc. YES, Rome is amazing and especially at St. Peter's and for the Vatican, it is an even more spectacular collection of various elements of great history, architecture, art, etc.

 

Was fortunate this week to catch in the news on the Pope doing that Scavi tour and then find some of the pictures on the web in a good-sized file to allow excellent viewing quality. It's fun sharing.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 125,800 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474