The Sistine Chapel is most famous for the paintings executed
by Michelangleo upon its ceiling, depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis.
The Creation of Man, the temptation of Adam and Eve, and the expulsion from Eden
are some of the scenes depicted. Later, Michelangelo painted a depiction of the
Last Judgment on the wall over the altar, featuring a blond, clean shaven
Christ judging the dead, with the damned being dragged to Hell by demons, and
the elect being carried to Heaven by angels.
San Giovanni in
Laterano
San Giovanni’s is
the cathedral of Rome and in the Catholic Church second only to St. Peter’s in importance. The
church dates back to the time of the Emperor Constantine, though the current
structure was built in the 15th Century and underwent restoration in
the 17th Century. While the church is filled with statues,
paintings, and bas reliefs from the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, the most interesting edifice is just outside
the church. It is an ancient Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by the Emperor Constantius, son of Constantine. It originally stood at the Circus Maximus,
but was reassembled and brought to San Giovanni’s by Pope Sixtus V in 1588.
San Pietro in
Vincoli (Saint
Peters
in Chains)
This church was
first built to contain the chains that bound St. Peter when he was awaiting
execution by the Romans. The church has undergone numerous restorations and
rebuildings throughout the centuries. It is most famous for containing the
statue of Moses, by Michelangelo.
The Vatican Museum
The Vatican Museum
is divided into several sections such as the Egyptian Museum, the
Ethnological Museum, the Painting Gallery and the Raffaello Rooms to name a
few. As well as the ancient artifacts, the Vatican Museums contain hundreds of
works of art commissioned and collected by the Popes over the centuries and
created by the most famous artists in history.