Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City is one of the most famous chapels in the world. It is said to be the official residence of the pope who lives in the Vatican City. It has pulled so much attraction because of its great and intricate architecture and decoration that has been carved by some of the greatest artist. It has one of the best and the great painted ceiling that covers a total area of twelve thousands square feet. The paintings depict the life of Christ and Moses, which took almost 2 to 3 years.

Because of these paintings, Sistine Chapel is considered a religious place. Whenever a new pope is appointed, this place serves as the venue for the auspicious ceremony. The chapel in the Vatican City is famous for its location of conclaves. This is actually a physical chapel, during the fourth pope, this comprised of more than 200 plus officials right from the high end official to the clerks of the Vatican City. In total, there were almost 50 occasions in one year when all from the Sistine Chapel should meet. Some of them were masses, however the others were basilicas. The most common usages of the Sistine Chapel are the masses on Christmas eve and during Easter. Later, after some time, the chapel was rebuilt so that it could accommodate larger numbers of public. The very first mass in the Sistine Chapel was held during the 15th century. This ceremony was a beautiful devotion to the virgin Mary.

When the chapel is involved in hosting different grand occasions, visiting is off limit. The chapel serves as a venue for the election of the pope. Whenever there is an election, an extra chimney is added to the piece and based on the selection criteria, either a white or a black smoke is raised.