The Museo Chiaramonti, located on the east side of the Belvedere, features a lengthy hallway adorned with thousands of sculptures and busts, ranging from mythical deities to cherubs to Roman nobles. At the end of this passage lies the New Wing (Braccio Nuovo) to the right, exhibiting items unearthed from Etruscan tombs in northern Lazio and Roman artifacts, as well as vases from the 18th-century Simonetti staircase. The Sistine Chapel serves as a must-visit spot, attracting crowds of up to 2000 visitors on busy days. To fully appreciate Michelangelo’s creations, approach the main entrance on the far east wall to admire the nine panels depicting stories from the book of Genesis, complete with intricate architectural details and a vibrant array of biblical characters.
The narrative begins with Noah’s Inebriation, followed by the Deluge, then his Offering. Taking the forbidden fruit from Satan, portrayed as a serpent with a female form entwined around a tree in Original Sin and Expulsion from Eden, leads to Adam and Eve’s expulsion. Adam is sculpted post-Eve. A famous depiction shows a bearded God animating Adam by touching him, known as the Separation of Light from Darkness depicting a powerful God reaching for the sun. Surrounding the central panels are 20 ignudi, or male nudes.
As these figures are liberated from their tombs to face judgment, Michelangelo’s captivating Last Judgment is revealed across from them. The redeemed ascend to paradise (upper right), while the damned are cast into hell (lower right) at the painting’s bottom. Positioned at the lower right corner is a figure with donkey ears and a snake coiled around his neck. Biagio de Cesena, the papal master of ceremonies who criticized Michelangelo’s work, is depicted beneath Christ as St. Bartholomew, clutching his flayed skin. It is believed that the anguished visage in the deceased skin represents Michelangelo and his tormented devotion.
The walls of the chapel are adorned with frescoes painted from 1481 to 1482 by a Renaissance team including Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio, Perugino and Luca Signorelli (on the right). These include Botticelli’s Temptation of Christ and Perugino’s Key-giving. The Sistine Chapel is not only where the conclave convenes to elect a new pope but also serves as a showcase for invaluable artworks.
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