What to know about the Sistine Chapel, site of the conclave to pick a new pope
From the majestic art to the white smoke, here's what to know about the Sistine Chapel, the sacred site of the conclave.
In a process shrouded in secrecy, the Sacred College of Cardinals is gearing up to elect Pope Francis' successor inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, renowned for its extensive Renaissance art collection by some of the world’s most famous artists.
The Sistine Chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, an avid art lover who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century.
However, a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, commissioned works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling and vaults depicting scenes from Genesis, including The Creation of Adam, between 1508 and 1512. He also painted The Last Judgment, the second coming of Christ, on one of the walls.
More than 5 million tourists visit the chapel annually, making it one of the most visited places in the world.
What is the Sistine Chapel known for?
Besides being the pope's main chapel, the Sistine Chapel has been the site of the conclave, the election that selects a new pope when there is a vacancy.
The conclave takes place only in the event of the pope's death or renunciation for personal reasons. Pope Francis, 88, died of a stroke on April 21, Easter Monday, after a long respiratory illness.
About 135 cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new pontiff next week, according to the Vatican. For inspiration, the cardinals can look at the sweeping frescoes from renowned Renaissance artists.
The last conclave was held in March 2013 following Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, the first of its kind in more than 600 years, and resulted in the election of Cardinal Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis.
The artwork inside the Sistine Chapel
While the exterior of the Sistine Chapel is muted, it is regarded for its majestic interior, as the walls and ceiling are decorated with frescoes created by many Florentine Renaissance artists.
The most important artworks in the chapel are the frescoes by Michelangelo, which appear on the ceiling and the west wall behind the altar.
Michelangelo painted the Last Judgment fresco on the west wall for Pope Paul III between 1534 and 1541. The two gigantic frescoes are considered among the greatest achievements in Western artistic history.
The most famous scene in the Sistine Chapel is The Creation of Adam. Part of Michelangelo's ceiling paintings, the fresco depicts God giving life to Adam. The iconic image is known for the depiction of the two figures' hands almost touching, symbolizing the creation of the first man. Their almost-touching fingers are one of the world’s most recognizable and widely replicated images.
Sistine Chapel's recent ties to pop culture
Besides the artwork, most people have also become familiar with the Sistine Chapel through fiction thanks to Robert Harris' 2016 hit book-turned-Oscar-winning movie, "Conclave." Both in the book and the 2024 movie, the 200-plus College of Cardinals gathered at the Vatican after the death of the pope to elect who would lead the world's roughly 1.4 billion Catholics.
The process is called a conclave and is steeped in ritual and tradition.
In the film, the voting begins inside the solemn Sistine Chapel. Many of the high-profile cardinals are vying to be the new pontiff, some making ardent cases for themselves, including Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) and Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati).
One cardinal who doesn't want the job is Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), dean of the College of Cardinals, despite encouragement by Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci). The thriller won best adapted screenplay at the Academy Awards.
As a result of the movie, many are now familiar with the final moments of a conclave, when the white smoke famously rises from a chimney just outside the Sistine Chapel, followed by the appearance of the newly elected pontiff on the central balcony at St. Peter's Basilica.
"We were given a private tour of the Vatican, and they were quite welcoming, actually, quite helpful," says "Conclave" screenwriter Peter Straughan, told Paste BN ahead of the film's release. "So it was a big research project, really. It's a fascinating and theatrical world, so you want to get those details right. It's a very sumptuous thing."
Contributing: Marc Ramirez, Marco della Cava and Christopher Cann