Rome: The Sistine Chapel

Wow. This has been called the best thing ever created by one artist. The ceiling was painted over a 4 year period (1508-1512) and the Judgement Day painting over the altar was added much later. I can't say that I am qualified to comment on the veracity of that, but I cannot offer up a rebuttal. We stumbled upon a great way to see it without crowds. We booked a reservation on line, and while Monday is not recommended (many other museums are closed so increased chance of crowds), we did not have big troubles with an 8:00 am reservation. The galleries do not open until 8:30 or 9:00, so the guards will guide you towards the Sistine Chapel, which was practically empty (being amongst the first people in does have it's advantages).

The ceiling was painted almost entirely by Michaelagelo, a reluctant painter who was persuaded to do the job by Pope Julius II, the 'warrior pope' who also commissioned the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica as a symbol of the power of the papacy (it was the Inquisition, after all--did people really need convincing? Apparently so). By some combination of persuation and threats--probably more of the later than the former, given his nickname--Julius got Michelangelo to under take the project. The book 'Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling' by Ross King is a surprisingly interesting retelling of the story--I highly recommend it. Julius' vision was for the twelve apostles, but Michelangelo had grander ideas.

He painted nine scenes from the Book of Genesis down the center of the ceiling, then the twelve people who prophesied or represented some aspect of the coming of the messiah. Of those twelve, seven were Prophets of Israel and were male. The remaining five were prophets of the Classical World, called Sibyls and were female. The prophet Jonah is placed above the altar and Zechariah at the further end, with the other male and female figures alternate down each side. In the four corners, Michelangelo painted four scenes from Biblical stories that are associated with the salvation of Israel: Moses, Esther, David and Judith.

We spent almost an hour gazing at the amazing work, almost alone, and it was spectacular.
To get tickets, use this web-site, and the 4 Euro charge above the admission price is well worth the expense, even in the off season--by 10 am the chapel was packed with hundreds of people, and unbearable.
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/