Pope Julius requested that
Michelangelo paint the chapel ceiling. Julius wanted Rome to be rebuilt to its
former glory. The ceiling is about 40 meters long and 13 meters wide,
Michelangelo painted over 5,000 sq.
feet of frescoes. The center of the ceiling
shows scenes from the Book of Genesis. Adjacent to those scenes are endless
portraits of prophets. My favorite part of the ceilings was not only the
vibrant colors but the hidden stories of Jesus and all the ancient tragedy in
Israel. I ‘m fascinated that there are more than 300 painted figures on the
ceiling. It took Michelangelo over
four years to finish this masterpiece. However, it wasn't
Michelangelo's fault that the ceiling took four years. This masterpiece
suffered many setbacks, such as, mold and damp weather. Nonetheless, a fun fact
I learned while touring the Sistine Chapel was that Michelangelo did not lay on
his back to paint the ceiling. He would bend backwards and paint over his head.
This technique later led to neck and back ache, which would also permanently
screw up his vision.
Sistine Chapel, Roma
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