virtual tour of sistine chapel

Virtual Reality Tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo's sistine chapel virtual reality tour, get it now, the greatest virtual reality masterpiece, meet michelangelo buonarroti, live a unique experience, meeting point, meet us here.

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You can now take a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel online

By Manon Garrigues

Today you can take a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel , one of the most famous and grandiose religious monuments hidden in the heart of the Vatican Museums .

A Vatican treasure

The Vatican Museums in Rome are among the most visited museums in the world. Every year, 7 million tourists flock to discover the splendor of these 12 museums, comprising no less than five galleries and 1,400 rooms, inaugurated in 1771. An extraordinary collection of works of art, mainly paintings and sculptures collected over the centuries by the popes and the institution of the Vatican Museums . Among the must-sees are Apollo Belvedere , Laocoön and His Sons , Portrait of Doge Nicolo Marcello by Titian , The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio and The Yellow Christ by Paul Gauguin . But the number one attraction of this sacred place remains the Sistine Chapel , the largest room in the Vatican Museums, and certainly the most spectacular. Named after Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere , who had the old Cappella Magna restored between 1477 and 1480, the Sistine Chapel has traditionally hosted the election of the new pope by the cardinals since the 15th century. But it is thanks to its incredible collection of paintings that the chapel is so famous. On the walls hang paintings by Perugino , Sandro Botticelli , Domenico Ghirlandaio , Cosimo Rosselli and Pinturicchio ... And the star of the show is the chapel's vault, which is entirely covered with frescoes painted by Michelangelo , the most famous of which is the one illustrating The Last Judgement . Currently closed because of the coronavirus epidemic, which is violently striking Italy and the rest of the world, the Sistine Chapel is offering a virtual tour of its treasures via its website.

The Vatican Museums

By Maria Goldbach

By Lolita Mang

By Alexandre Marain

The Sistine Chapel

The vault, painted by Michelangelo

The Last Judgement by Michelangelo

The virtual visit of the Sistine Chapel is accessible on the website http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/fr/collezioni/musei/cappella-sistina/tour-virtuale.html

Translated by Freya Doggett

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• VIRTUAL TOURS
• PRIVATE VIRTUAL TRIPS

The Sistine Chapel Experience – Virtual Tour

Travel in time into the creation of the Sistine Chapel, one of the greatest treasures of the Vatican Museums!

The Sistine Chapel is the pulsating heart of faith and universal culture, it’s the chapel where conclaves are held to elect the next Pope .

Curious for more? Don’t miss our NEW virtual experience , you will get the chance to discover what the Sistine Chapel was like before Michelangelo , understand the Conclave’s rites and rituals to electing a new Pope and admire Michelangelo’s extraordinary ceiling .

It’s difficult to put into words the magnificence and mystical impact of experiencing Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. The figures of Adam, Eve, Noah, the pagan sibyls, the ignudi and thousands of others figures on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and in the Last Judgement speak of Michelangelo and of the Renaissance : thanks to high quality photos and 3d reconstructions , our expert guide will explain clearly what they symbolize, and how and why these frescoes have redefined not only art, but the way in which we look at the world.

Don’t miss our first episode dedicated to the Vatican Museums and the Secret Rooms, register here .

Friday, October 27th, 2023

03.00 pm – 04.00 pm EDT (New York Time)

Check in your timezone here

Time zones examples:

• Rome Time: 09.00 pm
• London Time: 08.00 pm
• Los Angeles Time: 12.00 pm

The tour will last approximately 1 hour. At the end of the tour you will be given the chance to interact and make questions just like a live tour. The tour takes place in English!

⭐PRICE⭐ How much does the virtual tour cost? Our virtual tour is tip-based . We prefer a system where you don’t have to pay for a ticket in advance without knowing how the virtual tour is going to be, instead, you take part in the tour first and at the end, you decide the price based on your satisfaction. Support our cultural activities  with a voluntary contribution. Your contribution will help us continue our initiative and support the guides . You can leave a tip here:

Can’t watch our virtual tour live due to the time zone or are you unable to join us live? Register at the virtual tour and we will send you the recording  hence you can watch it  in your own time!

How to Join:

The tour will be hosted on Zoom. After the registration, you will receive via email a personal link to access the virtual event. To protect your privacy, your camera will be disabled during the event.

Share this event with your friends!

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Take a 3D Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and Other Art-Adorned Vatican Spaces

in Architecture , Art , Religion | May 24th, 2013 9 Comments

For­get the air­ports, the tick­et lines, and the crowds. Now you can step right into the Vat­i­can’s most sacred spaces and inspect the won­ders of Renais­sance art and archi­tec­ture with just a click of a mouse. The Vat­i­can has post­ed a series of vir­tu­al tours cre­at­ed by stu­dents and fac­ul­ty in the com­mu­ni­ca­tion and com­put­ing sci­ence depart­ments at Penn­syl­va­ni­a’s  Vil­lano­va Uni­ver­si­ty . The four Papal Basil­i­cas are includ­ed, along with the small­er Sis­tine and Pauline chapels. Here are six links to six amaz­ing vir­tu­al tours:

Basil­i­ca of St. Peter : Designed by Michelan­ge­lo and oth­ers, St. Peter’s is the focal point of the Vat­i­can, and per­haps the most famous exam­ple of Renais­sance archi­tec­ture. You can scroll up and down to inspect the walls and ceilings–including the famous dome–and zoom in for a close look at Michelan­gelo’s mas­ter­piece the Pietà  or Bernini’s ornate canopy, or bal­dachin , over the Papal Altar.

The Sis­tine Chapel :  The most famous build­ing in the Vat­i­can, after St. Peter’s, is the Sis­tine Chapel, a part of the Pope’s offi­cial res­i­dence, the Apos­tolic Palace. Fres­coes by Raphael, Berni­ni, Bot­ti­cel­li and oth­ers adorn the walls–and on the ceil­ing, one of the great mas­ter­pieces in the his­to­ry of art: Michelan­gelo’s ear­ly 16th cen­tu­ry depic­tion of scenes from the Book of Gen­e­sis, cov­er­ing some 12,000 square feet. On a walk­ing tour you would bare­ly have enough time to rec­og­nize some of the major scenes. With this vir­tu­al tour you can spend all the time you want scan­ning around and zoom­ing in to study the details.

Arch­basil­i­ca of St. John Lat­er­an :  The Pope’s offi­cial eccle­si­as­ti­cal seat, St. John Lat­er­an is the old­est Papal Basil­i­ca. But many of its most famous fea­tures are rel­a­tive­ly recent.  The basil­i­ca is per­haps best known for its neo­clas­si­cal façade by Alessan­dro Galilei, com­plet­ed in 1735.

Basil­i­ca of Paul Out­side-the-Walls :  Built out­side the old city walls, this basil­i­ca con­tains the tomb of St. Paul. You can see the tomb and oth­er fea­tures of the grace­ful church (which was rebuilt in the 19th cen­tu­ry after a dev­as­tat­ing fire) on the tour.

Basil­i­ca of St. Mary Major : This basil­i­ca is actu­al­ly locat­ed out­side the Vat­i­can City com­pound, in Rome, but has extrater­ri­to­r­i­al sta­tus sim­i­lar to that of a for­eign embassy. Built in the fifth cen­tu­ry, with some lat­er addi­tions, the basil­i­ca is a beau­ti­ful exam­ple of clas­si­cal Roman archi­tec­ture.

The Pauline Chapel :  Anoth­er chapel in the Apos­tolic Palace, the Pauline Chapel is sep­a­rat­ed from the Sis­tine Chapel by the Sala Regia, or “Regal Room.” Although less well-known than the Sis­tine Chapel, the Pauline Chapel hous­es two great fres­coes by Michelan­ge­lo: “The Con­ver­sion of Saul” and “The Cru­ci­fix­ion of St. Peter.”

by Mike Springer | Permalink | Comments (9) |

Related posts:

Comments (9), 9 comments so far.

thank you! breath­tak­ing!

Wow! Def­i­nite­ly divine intervention…astonishing ! Mind blow­ing! Praise The Lord!

ou can skip to the end and leave a response. Ping­ing is cur­rent­ly not allowed. sonya says … | May 25, 2013 / 12:49 pm thank you! breath­tak­ing!

Mandy says … | August 3, 2013 / 12:53 pm Wow! Def­i­nite­ly divine intervention…astonishing ! Mind blow­ing! Praise The Lord!

I can­not access this site (vir­tu­al tour of Sis­tine Chapel. Why? I do not twit­ter, or have a face book account. Help! Shirley Bartmess

Beau­ti­ful !

Dear all, I need a help to find out name of the pic­ture and a painter of a oil on can­vas (i zhink) I saw in under­gorund gallery on the way to the Sis­tine chap­pel. The motiv of the pic­ture are work­ers who mak­ing a cross (pic­ture sim­bolis­es peo­ple “work­ing their job” no mat­ter what they that means eth­i­caly). Thank you a lot!

This is very good, keep it up! The paint­ings in the ceil­ing of the Chapel reli­gious paint­ings.

Unfor­tu­nate­ly this requires Adobe Acro­bat, which is not avail­able on Apple tablets due to an old squab­ble between Apple and Adobe. Wish I could see it it though!

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Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel: In the center part of the ceiling, right above our heads, almost as a warning, Michelangelo describes the history of humanity, from creation to fall. The way to salvation is clear, man has only to choose!

The prophet Jonah

Over the altar is the imposing prophet Jonah who spent three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, just as Jesus remained three days in the sepulchre before rising again.

The prophet Jeremiah

The person of Jeremiah is imagined as lost in anguished meditation. Although the painting portrays Jeremiah as lamenting over the Destruction of Jerusalem, critics have interpreted the figure as a self-portrait by Michelangelo, with the artist lamenting over the weight of his sins.

The prophet Zechariah

Prophet Zechariah who had announced the coming of Jesus to restore faith to Israel.

The prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel exhibits a poignancy of movement that proclaims a strong spiritual direction. His posture differs significantly from that of the sibyls, as he sits firmly on his throne, with both feet fixed on the ground. The prophet’s feet are shown without the embellishments we witness in his female counterparts; sturdy limps that were meant for walking, and reveal the day-to-day routine of the biblical prophet as physically demanding and even grueling.

The prophet Joel

The most engaging part of the fresco is the face of Joel, which appears to reveal wisdom, disdain and intense focus all at once; the open scroll in his hands only enhancing this sense of wisdom.

The prophet Isaiah

Michelangelo's imagining bursts with movement, as Isaiah's cloak swirls around him. The colors in the portrayal – especially after the restoration – strike us as cool and luminous. The figure holds a distinctive blue book to his side, perhaps a depiction of the biblical Book of Isaiah.

The prophet Daniel

It is worth noting that – unlike many other paintings of the period – this portrayal makes no reference to the most famous event from Daniel's life, that is his time in the den of the lions. Instead, Michelangelo shows Daniel reading a great book, which is held up by a muscular figure from beneath it.

The Cumaean Sibyl

The Cumaean Sibyl has an olive complexion, appears to be huge, she wears a strange headpiece and her face is wrinkled. Michelangelo was inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphosis: the Sibyl received from Apollo the gift of as many years of life as grains of sand she could hold in her hand, but she forgot to ask the god for eternal youth and so was destined to live many long years as she slowly and inexorably aged.

The Libyan Sibyl

The Lybian Sibyl seems to be surprised in the act of getting up as she lifts the book of prophecies with her muscular arms, coiling like a snake.

The Delphic Sibyl

The Delphic Sibyl has a surprised look, almost as though she can’t believe that her prophecy has come true; she looks the other way as she unrolls a scroll in her left hand.

The Erythrean Sibyl

The Erythraean Sibyl is said to have been the daughter of a shepherd and a nymph. She lived in Erythrae, Ionia (Asia Minor), on the Aegean Sea. What makes this woman important to Christians is her prediction of Christ, given in the form of an acrostic poem which formed the words, ‘Ihsous Xristos Qeou uios spthr, which means, “Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Saviour.”

The Persian Sibyl

Primordial, totally detached, her eyes focused on things outside this world, and she herself almost a cave of mystery - such is the Persica of the Sistine Chapel.

Separation of Light from Darkness

It is one of five smaller scenes that alternate with four larger scenes that run along the center of the Sistine ceiling. The Separation of Light from Darkness is based on verses 3–5 from the first chapter of the Book of Genesis.

Creation of the sun, moon and planets

It is the second scene in the chronological sequence on the ceiling, depicting the third and fourth day of the Creation narrative. On the left, God is depicted from behind, extending his arm towards a bush, alluding to the plant world. On the right, God points and divides the sun and moon in the heavens.

Separation of Land from Sea

Three cherubim are half hidden in the cosmic cloak, as though foreshadowing the Holy Trinity. And, as though he embodied the World Soul, the figure of God the Father with his powerful hands fills almost the entire space.

Creation of Adam

It is the most well-known of the Sistine Chapel fresco panels, and its fame as a piece of art is rivaled only by the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.

Creation of Eve

God decides Adam needs a helper, so he puts Adam into a deep sleep and removes one of his ribs, out of which he forms a woman.

Original Sin and Banishment from the garden of Eden

Michelangelo illustrates simultaneously Original Sin and the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, two moments that are decidedly divided in the bible tale, thus showing together the cause and the effect generated. The two episodes are separated by the tree of good and evil, around which the serpent is wrapped. He is offering the forbidden fruit to Eve who, against the order of the Lord, will take it to eat it and offer it also to her companion. On the other side of the panel the forefathers, hunted by an angel with an unsheathed sword, leave the Garden of Eden, pained and bent under the burden of remorse for the sin committed.

Sacrifice of Noah

After the Flood Noah builds an altar so that he can thank God. He sacrifices some animals that he saved from drowning earlier.

Michelangelo shows the episode of the Flood in all its drama. In the foreground there is a hill towards which a great multitude of persons, buried under the weight of their personal effects or their relatives, are heading, so hoping to avoid the wrath of God. On the other side they are crowding onto a small island, stretching out their hands to lend aid to those still in danger. In the centre is a boat, about to sink, while in the background is the ark on which, through the will of God, Noah, his family and pairs of animals will be saved.

Drunkenness of Noah

The Drunkenness of Noah is an episode that from the time of St Augustine onward was interpreted as the prefiguration of the mocking of Christ. The humiliation of the patriarch, caused by the fruit of the vine, alludes to the Word that humiliates itself by agreeing to become incarnated in the "vineyard" of Israel.

The Punishment of Haman

Haman decreed that the Jews should bow down before the king on pain of death for failing to do so. Ester, the wife of a Persian king, had the edict annulled causing the death of Haman and saving the Jewish people.

The Brazen Serpent

The Israelites became unhappy at the hardships endured on their journey to the promised land and brought upon themselves the wrath of God. God in his anger sent a plague of serpents against them. When they repented their behaviour he told Moses to make a bronze serpent and anyone who had been bitten by the reptiles would be saved by looking at the bronze statue.

David and Goliath

The giant Goliath had sworn to reduce the Jews to slavery if he defeated their army. Famously the young David fought and killed Goliath with his slingshot.

Judith and Holofernes

Holofernes, a general in the Babylonian army, had orders to attack the Israeli army but Judith, a young Jewish girl, got Holofernes drunk and managed to kill him.

Ancestors of Christ: Jesse

Ancestors of Christ: Asa

Ancestors of Christ: Ezechias

Ancestors of Christ: Iosias

Ancestors of Christ: Zorobabel

Ancestors of Christ: Ozias

Ancestors of Christ: Roboam

Ancestors of Christ: Salmon

Sistine chapel: the ceiling, by michelangelo buonarroti.

In the center part of the ceiling, right above our heads, almost as a warning, Michelangelo describes the history of humanity, from creation to fall. The way to salvation is clear, man has only to choose!

At the center, God looks upward with his back to us and suggests the only way to admire this masterwork : to immerge oneself completely in the fresco until one becomes part of it.

There are nine stories from Genesis :

• Separation of the light from the dark;
• Creation of the stars and plants;
• Separation of the Earth from the waters;
• Creation of Adam;
• Creation of Eve;
• Original Sin and the Expulsion from Eden;
• Sacrifice of Noah;
• The Great Flood;
• Noah’s Drunkenness;

He began to paint the stories in opposite order to their chronology so, starting from the stories of Noah, the most recent ones, going backwards in time to the Creation .

This was not by accident. The artist was heavily influenced by Plato’s theories . According to the Greek philosopher, man had to free himself from the prison of his body to return to his divine origins. And that’s exactly what Michelangelo did, making his tortured work a backwards path towards humanity’s origins.

As in the Genesis stories , the history of the Universe begins with God separating the Light from the Dark . For Michelangelo, nature either didn’t exist or was an enemy of man, the Flood being one example. So the Creation becomes a violent act full of movement.

In the first panel, God is immense, almost escaping the confines of the fresco. As he creates, his image becomes constantly smaller —and this, too, is not by chance: here Michelangelo is following a rabbinical theory that, before the Universe’s existence, God filled everything. As He creates, God slowly becomes ever smaller to leave space for his Creation.

Nothing is left to chance in the Creation of the Universe , nor in the Sistine Chapel ; thus the sun represents Jesus who shines with his own light as the Church shines with his reflected light. The angels that surround God represent both the 4 Seasons and the 4 Elements . The Creator is painted here from behind to remind us that life remains a mystery for man.

At the center of both the Creation and the narration are woman and man. God, as written in the Bible , first created man, taking lifeless clay and then breathing his spirit into his creation. Michelangelo painted both God and Adam symmetrically, with an arm outstretched, to show that man is indeed made in God’s image. Adam seems like an athlete from ancient times, still unmoving, his body on the ground to remind us that it is from the Earth that we come.

The image of God touching Adam with two fingers, infusing him with life, is the most famous image in the whole Chapel, so much so as to become one of the most copied in the world. In Adam’s features we find all the care for the human body that was typical of the Renaissance to underline the idea that man must aspire to perfection. On the other hand, God is shown as an old man but who transfers to man all his creative power, the same power that Michelangelo felt as an artist.

In the scene of Eve’s creation, the three figures form a triangle with God at the top. Woman is born from a rib taken from the sleeping man. Michelangelo shows her as though she is coming out of Adam’s body, to show that the two creatures are indivisible .

The story of Humanity’s Fall begins with the Temptation . But Michelangelo didn’t paint an apple , as you’d expect, not even an apple tree as tradition would have it since the word “ apple ” in Latin, was written “ malum ”, which was also the word for “ evil ”. Here, the tree of sin is a fig tree.

He chose it for two reasons: because the fig leaf was the first thing used to cover man’s nudity after being banished from Paradise, but also because the fig tree was considered by the rabbis to be the tree of Knowledge , under which the learned studied the Law.

The tempter , according to Michelangelo, is half woman, half serpent, to remind us that it was woman who was tempted by the serpent first, sinuous and attractive as it winds around the trunk and has a woman’s features.

The consequences of the expulsion from the Earthly Paradise are shown in the next panel. The angel makes the same gesture as the tempter but this time it isn’t a gesture of attraction but represents the inexorable distancing from Eden. The two painfully accept their destiny, Adam tries to protect them from the angel’s anger and sword with his hands while Eve hides behind him.

In the following scenes, humanity has by this time covered most of the Earth and Michelangelo continues the story showing man’s tragic destiny. The scene of the Flood is desperate and dramatic .

Men hopelessly fight against the elements, not knowing that only Noah, chosen by God, will survive the waters’ furies. Each man carries his poor belongings and, with his family on his shoulders, tries to find some high ground in the hopes of salvation.

A little further on, another part of humanity crowds a small island; some of them hold out their hands in a last desperate gesture of solidarity, to help those who are still in the water. But the well-built Arc holds Noah, his family and their animals as the other little boats sink under the weight of the fearful human beings and the force of natural disasters.

As never before, the water in this panel is a symbol of change and redemption: it washes away evil and flows towards a new life after the flood.

Hope seems to be reborn with the scene of Noah’s drunkenness, referring to the story according to which it was he who first cultivated the grape — and who was first to get drunk from it. Our protagonist returns to till the soil, to give new life to the Earth devastated by the Flood.

This was the first scene painted by Michelangelo . Observing the narrative from the end of the hall, as you slowly arrive towards the beginning of the story over the altar, the scenes become ever more lighter and less dark, there’s almost a sensation of relief; the figures are larger and simpler, until everything is filled only with the clear light of the image of God .

The Sistine Chapel thus becomes a priceless, magic manuscript that can be read from the bottom up, from the left or from the right; wherever you start, you’ll find yourself ...

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Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour: The Genius of Michelangelo

• Live presentation with Art Historian Maria
• Get up close and personal with Michelangelo's frescoes thanks to high quality videos & images
• Discover the full history of the Sistine Chapel and its place in the story of the Renaissance
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• Sistine Chapel, 00120, Vatican City You will receive a registration email on the day of your tour. Then you will register for the Zoom webinar and a link to joint the event will be send
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• You'll start at Sistine Chapel 00120, Vatican City You will receive a registration email on the day of your tour. Then you will register for the Zoom webinar and a link to joint the event will be send See address & details
• 1 Sistine Chapel Stop: 30 minutes Inside the chapel and outside Read more
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• Rex N 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles First tour of Rome - Memorable Maria was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. She answered the questions we had. She kept us at a good pace and was a joy to tour with. Read more Written April 15, 2024
• connieh924 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Wonderful way to start the day. Thomas Robinson was a delightful guide, thoroughly entertaining, knowledgeable, erudite and quite adept at making his way through the crowds. He gave us a fascinating look at the history, art, religion, times and personages of the Vatican. We very much enjoyed the tour! He was also kind enough to send me a list of books to help further my interest in Roman history - and I have ordered several already! Great tour and wonderful tour guide. Thank you Thomas! Read more Written April 14, 2024
• Curiosity02847811784 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles VIP private tour We had an amazing tour with Thomas! He was passionate about the history of Ancient Rome, incredibly knowledgeable, and explained everything we were seeing in an informative and entertaining way-like the best sort of college professor. We felt like he was the perfect guide for our family, and he even offered recommendations for lunch for after our tour. On a more practical note-having someone to guide you through the entry process at the Colosseum is such a time saver! Thank you Thomas for a wonderful morning! Read more Written April 13, 2024
• kellygreen963_10 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Odd tour guide Our guide, Thomas, was not good. He was friendly but kept going off on tangents and wasn't goid at answering questions directly. Read more Written April 5, 2024
• laurenmQ5068HE 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Great tour to see the Vatican City. I genuinely enjoyed my tour with Through Eternity. We had Francesco as our guide and he was really funny. He can speak three languages (that I know of) which is great! Before entering the Sistine Chapel, Francesco went over the paintings we would see. You're not allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel so I really appreciated Francesco talking about how the paintings were made, who they were from, and how it got there. Francesco also highlighted important statues, tapestries, and paintings in the Vatican Museums. FYI you won't see everything, but just imagine seeing all 44,000 statues and paintings. You would be there for hours. The last stop was the Basilica and which was really cool. Read more Written April 2, 2024
• susanhN9490HE 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Learned and saw a lot on a rainy day at the Colosseum The tour was most informative and interesting. Guido provided info to allow us to understand the significance of the ruins and gave us an outstanding background of the culture of ancient Rome. He did an excellent job guiding us around the Forum, Palatine and the Colosseum on a rainy day and he did his best to keep us both under cover and apart from the crowds. Read more Written March 25, 2024
• dougmU2175RB 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Rich Insights Lorenzo was a terrific guide - extremely knowledgeable about so many aspects of the tour. His insights certainly made our visit much more memorable. Highly recommended. Read more Written March 25, 2024
• bayu2024 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles amazing! thomas was an amazing guide! he is so so knowledgeable about the vatican and rome history, not to mention super witty and kind! we loved every second! thank you thomas! Read more Written March 25, 2024
• 822scs 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fantastic tour of Ancient Rome We had a fantastic tour of The Forum and the Colosseum. Our guide, John Tinto, could not have been better: knowledgable, personable and professional. His knowledge of history and ancient architecture was impressive, and he seasoned it all with a dash of humor. Highly recommended. Read more Written March 25, 2024
• 528mihkelk 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Best of the best The excursion was amazing and wonderfully comprehensive. I studied archeology for 7 years; the details he provided were detailed and up to date. All the small stories were captivating, giving us context of the bigger historical picture. Highly recommended, one of the best tour guides I’ve had, after visiting almost all of the main European touristic attractions. Read more Written March 23, 2024
• c480 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great tour with the political and historical understanding behind the art Tom was a great guide. He provided lively and interesting background that helped appreciate the art. His discussion of the Sistine chapel really enhanced the viewing of the frescoes. Tom also provided a historical and political understanding of the art and the buildings that gave an insight on the collection. His tour of St. Peter’s Basilica was great, getting us close to the amazing mosaics. Through the entire tour Tom kept the group engaged and provided a great experience Read more Written March 21, 2024
• c480 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great experience among Ancient Rome Eugenia was a great guide. Intermingled with the history were stories about life in Rome. The ruins of the Forum came to life. Our excursion through Palatine Hill gave a real sense of the life and opulence of an emperor. Through the entire tour Eugenia kept the group engaged and was a great story teller. Read more Written March 21, 2024
• c480 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great introduction to Rome and its history Going in the early season, we ended up with a private tour. Enrica was a great guide. She gave us a solid grounding on Roman history and provided a historical and political understanding of the buildings we walked through. A highlight was seeing the Roman aqueduct that feeds the fountains of Rome. In all a great experience and introduction to Rome. Read more Written March 21, 2024
• Mobile38729474462 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles I recommend Paolo was very knowledgeable and easy going. I feel I learned so much during this tour and it really brought the Forum and Colosseo to life. It can be hard to make sense of what these ruins were without that guidance. The small group setting made it even better. Read more Written March 21, 2024
• Dreamer62792192362 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A great tour when in rome Maria our guide was amazing,lots of information . It was a great afternoon with a lot of walking so comfy shoes are a must. Read more Written March 15, 2024

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Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour: The Genius of Michelangelo provided by Through Eternity Tours

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Directly from Rome, with SIMONE L: licensed tour guide of Rome and the Vatican City, Archeologist, Egyptologist.

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The Sistine Chapel as you have never seen it before.

A SECRET ELECTION: Rome, 1492 AD. The old Pope died. And the Cardinals, in line, entered the Sistine Chapel to elect the new Pope: Alexander Borgia. 

MICHELANGELO AND THE CEILING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL: he didn’t want to paint that ceiling. And for sure he didn’t paint lying on his back! Brushes and pigments were out of his mind at that time. 

A DREAM TEAM OF PAINTERS FOR SISTUS IV: when Michelangelo was only 5 years old, the Sistine Chapel was the theater of the greatest contest of artists ever. Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and many others met togheter in the chapel with a unique goal: show the world that unity is strenght.

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Virtual Tours of Sistine Chapel

There are so many places on my bucket list where I would love to travel, but there’s one place I am dying to visit. Can you guess? I would give you a hint, but I cannot even describe in words on how beautiful this attraction is. I am joking, yes I can and that is exactly what I am going to do for you right now! Get ready everyone, because we are going in a virtual tour to the amazing Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel!

I am very excited to take you on this amazing virtual tour and show you this iconic location. If you have never been to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, then welcome! For those who have, just know I am high-key jealous of you right now– but still come along with us; it’s never a bad time.

Sistine Chapel During COVID

Unfortunately, no one is able to physically visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel during these current times due the pandemic. Thank God for virtual tours , am I right? Look on the bright side, I am literally giving you the inside look, without paying any flights or fees; so you’re welcome!

Before we head on in, let me give you some background knowledge on the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. It is 42,000 meter of pure beauty, located in the state of Vatican City. I know, you are probably thinking, ‘how is it a state when it says it is clearly a city?’. Well, friends, it is an independent state– not to mention the smallest state in the world, with a population of 825 people. Mind blown? Yup, mines too! I am warning you though, more mind blowing coming your way during this virtual tour. We will be walking through the Vatican Museum and ending at the notorious Sistine Chapel so let’s get started!

Court of the Pigna

For our first stop of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel virtual tour, we are standing in this astonishing courtyard called the Court of the Pigna ; but I personally call it “The Pine cone Courtyard”. Reason being, I mean come on, look in front of you! There is a gigantic pine cone right there. This is a cool pine cone, not the ones your grandmother puts out as Christmas decorations. It is a green color and is made up of a gorgeous bronze that sits in the middle or the courtyard surrounded with stairs on each side. This statue was founded in the area of the pantheon and was made by the Ancient Romans almost 2,000 years ago.

Collection of Popes

This is actually a pretty amazing spot. There are a variety of statues, but I was to show you three of my favorite ones. Not only these statues are very artistic, but the backstory behind them are super interesting.

The first statue we have here is called the Statue of Apollo. It was made by the Ancient Romans in the first century of Christ as a copy of an original Greek statue. Apollo was known as the Pagan God– the God of poetry and the God of music. Back then, Apollo represented “classical beauty” in other words in today’s society,he was very good looking. He is not really my type, but to each their own. Apparently, he was so handsome, Michelangelo was inspired by the look of the statue; so he modeled Apollo’s face after Jesus Christ in his paint of The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel. Don’t worry, we will get there soon enough! The off-white of this statue gives it that beautiful definition, It is an absolute masterpiece!

The next statue is pretty interesting. This one is called the Laocoön; sounds so fancy with the accent and everything. If you have heard of the ancient story Troy and the Trojan Horse, this is what this statue is based on. For those who are not familiar with the story, let me give you the rundown really quickly.

So, basically, he was a Priest that was trying to warn the Trojans from accepting the horse as a gift from the Greeks, but no listened to him. As a result, since the Gods were on the Greeks side, he was punished by being killed by snakes– and that is exactly what the statue is showing.

The expressions and detail or this art piece seems so legit. The statue was founded in Downtown Rome in the beginning of the 1500’s. Michelangelo told the Pope Julius II, who was pope at the time, to go get it because it was something special. Obviously, he was not wrong, because it is sitting here in the Vatican Museum during the virtual tour today.

Statue of Apollo and Laocoön

The Statue of Apollo and the Laocoön are very important art pieces because they were both the first statue to enter the Vatican Museum (previously known as the palace), but this last one is a little less important, but it is a great piece. This one is called the River God also known as Arno. It represents the river or Arno which is located in Florence, Italy. Back then, rivers represent men with huge beards; like the one in this statue.

It was founded at the time of Pope Leo X in the 1500’s. The way this statue honors Pope Leo X, they added a lion’s face inside the vase which the bearded man is holding. Not going to lie, but I kind of jumped back when I saw that. I just thought that was a super clever way for an artist to create a legacy of Pope Leo X.

Hall of the Muses

Wow, look at us! We have already been through two whole courtyards at the Vatican Museum. I don’t know about you, but I am loving this. Anyway, we have officially entered inside. Looking around right now is breathtaking, and we are not even at the Sistine Chapel yet! I cannot imagine the expression on my face once we get there; but look where right now. Welcome to the Hall of the Muses. Along the sides of the red walls we see statues of figures called muses. Muses are the protectors of art, music, and poetry. A fun fact is the words “museum” and “music” comes from the word “muses”. Are you amused? Here I go again with my cringe humor, sorry everyone.

Let’s go to the center of the room and look at this next art piece. This is called the Torso. I mean, if you look at it, you can clearly see how it got its name. It is just a plain torso; no arms, no legs, and no head. Bizarre, right? It’s an important piece though; reason being because it was made in the first century before Christ. Also, if you look towards the bottom of the torso in the center, you will see a signature; which is very rare for ancient art like this piece of marble.

Gallery of Maps

Who needs a GPS when you have the Gallery of Maps? This is a really cool and narrow hall in the Vatican Museum. The left and right side of the walls are covered with maps with different regions of Italy. The east coast of Italy is on one side, and the West coast of Italy is on the other side. It was painted at the end of the 1500’s and the paintings are very detailed.

For example, let’s look over here. Right here on the map is Lazio, Rome. It is so detailed, you see places such as the Tiger River and even the Vatican! It does not look like this anymore since it was painted a very long time ago. This Gallery of Maps was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII; also known as the man who reformed the gregorian calendar.

The Raphael Rooms: The Room of the Segnatura

The Raphael Rooms are one of the most iconic rooms in the Museum. They consist of four different rooms. It was formerly known as Pope Julius the II’s private apartment. He called up one of the most famous painters of all time, Raphael to paint and decorate it.

Out of all four of these rooms, the most well-known room is the Room of the Segnatura. It used to be the Pope’s library, but then became the tribunal of the church for signing a bunch of documents; which is why it has it’s name.

The most famous painting in this room is The School of Athens. It is a beautiful painting of people walking in a building that is about to be build; which is St. Peter’s Basilica. Some of the people in the frescoe are included and represented with great minds of the ancient times. Both well-known philosophers Plato and Aristotle who are in the center of the masterpiece.

Sistine Chapel

We made it to homestretch! Of course, I had to save the best for last; the Sistine Chapel. It is famous for its mind blowing paint of The Last Judgement by Michelangelo, and also this is the exact place where the election takes place of the new Pope. The Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV and it was also named after him. At the end of the 15th century, he was called the best artists in Tuscany and they created this beautiful frescoe side walls of the right and left hand side. As you look, these are paintings of Moses’ old testament and Jesus’ new testament.

Now, look up; looks familiar, right? Pope Julius II called Michelangelo to paint this now famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. As you look up, look in the center. That is a painting that represents Genesis, which is the creation of the world in the Bible. Isn’t it crazy how the beginning of the world is right above our heads?

The most iconic part of this ceiling is the Creation of Adam. You know, the once painting when Adam and God are reaching for reaching each other. It is showing Adam with no energy because he is about to receive life for the first time. Also, if you notice behind God is a shape of a human brain. Michelangelo was trying to send a message to us as viewers that we need to use the brain God has given us because it is a beauty.

Closing Time

Alright, now look straight at the wall in front of you. This is a big painting of The Last Judgement. I am not here to give you a Religion lecture, but if you do not know the story behind this painting; long story short, it is the day when Jesus comes back to earth and decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. In the center you would notice a beautiful detailed painting of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary along with Saints and others surrounding them in heaven.

Now, look towards the bottom right, that is hell. I got some tea for you right now. Michelangel was on a whole other level of pettiness when painting this, I am going to tell you why. If you look in the corner, you will notice a naked man with snakes and creepy figures around him. The man in the painting is named Biagio and he was an assistant at The Vatican. He would complain about the naked figures Michelangelo would paint in the Sistine Chapel– so that is why Michelangelo decided to include him in this famous piece of art. That is hilarious!

Well, that is a wrap! I hope you all had a great time on this amazing virtual tour. This was a pretty good one, and I hope to see you all again at The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel.

About The Author: Sean Boyle

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