The Sistine Chapel’s famous ceiling is part of a room that continues to serve an active religious and ceremonial role. Its frescoes were created in distinct campaigns by several Renaissance artists, with Michelangelo’s ceiling and Last Judgment transforming the space.
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The ceiling is so famous that it can eclipse the room beneath it. The Sistine Chapel was built and decorated under Pope Sixtus IV, and its first wall-fresco cycle was completed by a team including Perugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Cosimo Rosselli.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The first frescoes were completed in 1481–1482.
- Michelangelo finished the ceiling in 1512.
- He completed the Last Judgment in 1541.
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