THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

1 NOVEMBER 1512 – SISTINE CHAPEL SHOWN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME

It took Michelangelo four years to complete one of his finest works, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The Italian artist, who was born Michelangelo Buonarroti in the small village of Caprese in 1475, took a keen interest in painting and sculpture from a young age.

His talent was noticed by many and in 1508 he was called to Rome to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – a sacred chapel in the Vatican and the official residence of the pope.

To paint the wall surfaces, he used fresco painting, a method using water-based pigments on freshly applied plaster. The Roman Catholic chapel in Italy is covered in frescoes that depict or symbolise God as well as stories and people from the Bible.

Michelangelo completed his work of art in 1512, revealing it to the public for the first time on 1 November that year. Today, the

Sistine Chapel is visited by thousands of tourists – but cameras are banned during visiting times to protect the paintings on display, which are examples of High Renaissance art.