The Enormous Wonder was built in Vatican City based on the very demensions of the Temple of Solomon as given in the Old Testament.
The chapel holds important relogious signifcance for the Catholic faith and is the site the elections of Popes.
However,
It is neither the mock biblicality nor the frequent pope sightings(Oh my god, John Paul is the cutest Pope in like a century!) that make Sistine so famous.
It's the Frescoes(not Frescas, they don't normally sell those at cathedrals)that draw millions every year. For foolosh, uneducated americans(like myself) frescoes are a form of murals.
Many people(again, traditionally us foolish american folk) think that the paintings in Sistine were produced fully by Michelangelo. They are, of course
WRONG!!!
The Chapel walls have long since been decorated with works by Medieval artists like Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli and of course, Good ol' Luca Signorelli.
You see, The chapel, as was typical in Medieval times, is divided into three epochs:
Uno-Pre- Ten Commandments
Deux-Moses until Jesus
+
Three- Christ's Life and Times
In 1508, Pope JuliusII asks Michelangelo to help redecorate the place. Being the lovable chap he was, and knowing that it's bad news to say no to a pope, Michelangelo agreed to paint the ceiling, which was then covered onlt with a night sky. Michelangelo dicided to cover the starry night with wholesome experimentation, delightful nudity, scandalous sinning and unexplainable synthesis of human beings. Uno.
For the Next four years, Michelangelo, 37 at time,would spend everyday on his back hoisted to the cieling and suffering from severe pain and cramping so that his masterpiece could be completed.
22 years later, Michelangelo launched once more into the breech and painted the Last Judgement, found behind the alter.Lucky for Mike, this was right-side-up feat.
Some people were opposed to the grotuitous nudity involved with Last Judgement and as a tactful "So There!" Michelangelo Painted his own face on Bartholemew's(one of many distinct figures, 381 in all) body.
Though, 10 years later some mystery painter was brought in to hide Michelangelo's dirty mind and cover those bare bodies with flowy robes.
The next step in history is the restoration. Starting the walls in 1960, and finishing the last piece of the chapel in 1994, it was quite task.
That's about all of the history for now, the rest is crazy restoration stuff which will be described on other pages. FUN<FUN<FUN!
