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The most famous setting of the Vatican museums is the Sistine Chapel constructed between 1475 and 1481 by Giovanni de Dolci under orders of Sisto IV. The huge chapel is 40,5m x 13.2m and 20,7m high that show along all of it's long sides 6 windows. Andrea Bregno created the marble fence that dives the chapel into two unequal parts: the chancel, the larger section reserved to the clergy , and the smaller nave area for the lay. He was also responsible for the pulpit on the right of the chancel.
The pavement is framed with multi coloured marble, whilst the heel is covered with tapestry. Under Sisto IV between 1481 and 1483 the walls under the window had already been painted by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Roselli, Piero di Cosimo, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Luca Signorelli and Bartolomeo della Gatta. In simple rectangular panels from the left are represent scenes from story of Moses and on the right the story of Christ. Within the niches painted between the windows are images of popes. The decoration of the chapel is completed by Michelangelo's frescos which serve as an excellent example of renaissance paintings. The Sistine chapel is not a museum, but an important element in the life of the church as it is where the pope celebrates mass in private and unites the conclave to elect the new pope.
AFFRESCHI DELLA VOLTA (Michelangelo Buonarroti 1508-1512)
In 1508, Giulio II empowered Michelangelo with the task of painting the Sistine chapel where there was painted a starry sky, work of Pier Matteo d'Amelia . Unsatisfied with the original task given to him, that of depicting the 12 apostles, he managed to convince the pope to radically change the project. Michelangelo changed the existing architecture by covering the ceiling with 9 central stories illustrating episodes of genesis within a powerful painted architecture. At the base of the architectural structure are 12 prophets and sibyls seated on monumental thrones, countered lower down by Christ's forefathers portrayed in the webs and in the lunettes. Michelangelo united the paintings in three complex themes: Creation of Adam, the hunt from paradise and the story of Noah. On both sides the paintings are accompanied by prophets and by scenes of the old testament. The large rectangular space in the middle of the painting are false arches which close nine rectangular spaces, alternatively large and small where the stories of genesis are depicted. Within the largest rectangles, starting from the alter, are: separation of light from darkness, the creation of Adam, original sin and the hunt from paradise, the flood. The figurative project is made in a way that the observer can read it whilst standing at the entrance. After four years the gigantic project was finished and the ceiling was uncovered on all saints day 1512.
CREATION OF ADAM (Michelangelo Buonarroti) The most famous fresco with focal point being contact between the fingers of the Creator and those of Adam, the first man on earth through which the breath of life is transmitted.
LAST JUDGEMENT (Michelangelo Buonarroti 1535) In 1535 Michelangelo was entrusted with the task of painting the alter wall of the alter of the Sistine chapel by pope Paolo III. Whilst up on high groups of angels bearing the symbols of passion and down below the trumpeter who announces the arrival of the last judgement. In the centre of a sea of nude bodies is the figure of Christ surrounded by apostles and saints. The judgement is so terrible that even Mary looks away. To the right of Christ, the blessed rise up to heaven whilst the damned fall into the abyss from where Charon rows out towards hell. This dreadful vision of the last judgement looks very much like Dante's hell in the divine comedy. Initially the fresco was acclaimed with enthusiasm, however later on people were shocked by the nudity to the point that pope Paolo IV ordered the covering up of the numerous nude bodies.
THE RESTORATION OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL
Restoration work has been done of ‘la volta' and the Sistine chapels wall which amazed specialists and lovers of art all over the world. That which had always been judged as a dark? And the ? of Michelangelo revealed to be a grey-brown coating caused by dust and smoke from the candles over the centuries. Once cleaned, emerged some bright and strong colours which give a completely new look to Michelangelo's artwork. He had painted the chapel with a technique known as ‘buon fresco' colour is applied to the bottom still fresh. For the volta he had used a wide variety of colours. The background for the nude figures on the wall of the alter is an intense sky- blue. However the brightness of the colours has not convinced everyone and criticism of the restoration work has been right from the start and still continue. Claims that Michelangelo's real work has been lost for ever with the cleaning.
Even 50 years after the volta had been finished soot from the candles had obscured the colours while infiltration of rainwater had caused cracks and salt incrustation on the paintings. Pio IV (1566-1572) was forced to have the first restoration work which he entrusted to Domenico Carnevali, an artist from Modena. Already at that time the colours must have been quite dirty as recent research has shown that Carnevali used substantially darker shades than the originals. About 150 years later Annibale Mazzuoli undertook new work and tried to clean the frescos with sponges and white wine. He then covered them with a layer of paste to hide the salt stains and to freshen up the colour. Unfortunately all his effort was for nothing as after a short time the colours resumed their dark tone, making it seem that a complete cleanup was impossible. It was only after the restoration campaign of the 60's to clean the frescos of the XV century that attention again turned to Michelangelo's work.
A complete restoration programme began in 1980 under the direction of Gianluigi Colalucci, head restorer of the Vatican museums. Chemical research had been carried out to analyse the constitutional elements of the frescos and the process of cleaning was rehearsed in the laboratory. The restoration work was filmed by a Japanese television station who financed most of the project and purchased photo and cinema rights. With the help of other sponsors the extremely costly documentation was mixed with a registration of the restorers comments. The work consisted of a washing of the frescos with a special detergent.
To preserve the splendid colours recovered the frescoes they were covered with a transparent protective varnish , as Michelangelo had done. Use of a special cold light to illuminate without causing damage, a computerized air conditioning system to continually monitor and maintain humidity and temperature within the chapel. The recently terminated restoration work of the Sistine chapel has resulted in it going back to it's past splendour.
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