The Sistine Chapel is probably one of the most celebrated works of the Renaissance era. Built in the 15th century under Pope Sixtus IV and named in his honor, the chapel forms part of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace and serves as the pope’s private chapel.

While its walls were initially adorned by various artists, including Botticelli and Ghirlandaio, it was Michelangelo Buonarroti who transformed it into the masterpiece we know and admire, when he painted its ceiling between 1508 and 1512. His frescoes, commissioned by Pope Julius II, depict scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the famed Creation of Adam, and present an expansive narrative of Old Testament events.