The Sistine Chapel, known in Italian as the Cappella Sistina, is a papal chapel in Vatican City, in Rome. It sits within the Vatican complex, with its address given as Viale Vaticano, 00165 Roma RM, Italy, and visitors can reach it by telephone at +39 06 6988 4676.
What you will see
The chapel is best known for the ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo and for his fresco of The Last Judgment on the altar wall. Together they make the interior one of the most closely studied painted spaces in Europe, and a visit is above all an opportunity to look up and take in the work.
- The ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo, which fill the vault overhead.
- The Last Judgment, Michelangelo's fresco on the altar wall.
A working chapel
The Sistine Chapel is also a place of ceremony. It is the site of papal conclaves, the gatherings at which cardinals elect a new pope. This gives the room a role beyond that of a museum piece, and it helps explain why it is kept as a sacred space as well as an art attraction.
Planning your visit
Because the chapel lies inside Vatican City, a trip here is usually combined with other visits in the area. Its address places it in the Vatican part of Rome, so the surrounding streets and neighbourhoods around the Vatican are an easy complement to the chapel itself. Calling ahead on the number above is the most direct way to check details before you go.
