Discover the Secrets: Top 6 Amazing Fun Facts About the Sistine Chapel

1. Sword-wielding Pope Myth

Despite not auditioning for the role of a sword-wielding action-hero Pope: there is no evidence that Pope Julius II ever threatened Michelangelo with a sword to complete the Sistine Chapel's ceiling; however, Michelangelo did feel intimidated by His Holiness and rushed some portions of the painting out of fear.
Source => theguardian.com

2. Holy Home Makeover

Hold your horses, Holy Picasso! Michelangelo's painting job on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling was not just your average DIY home project: In reality, he went above and beyond, covering 175 scenes with over 300 figures from the Book of Genesis, likely brainstorming the ambitious design all by himself.
Source => througheternity.com

Did you know Michelangelo didn't paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling all by himself? Discover the teamwork behind this masterpiece and unveil the truth about his rumored "sol-art" practice! 🎨👬

=> Fun Facts about Michelangelo

3. Michelangelo's Yelp Woes

If Michelangelo had Yelp back in the Renaissance, his review of the Sistine Chapel project would have been a whopping one star: Despite the artistic masterpiece that resulted, Michelangelo actually suffered greatly from backache and various ailments due to the long, strenuous process of painting its ceiling, all while lamenting his discomfort in a disheartened poem.
Source => througheternity.com

4. Divine Simon Says

When Michelangelo played a divine game of "Simon Says": Pope Julius II originally commissioned the Renaissance master to paint portraits of the twelve apostles on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. However, Michelangelo, with the artistic audacity of a divinely-inspired mischief-maker, convinced the Pope to let him paint scenes from the Book of Genesis instead, leading to the creation of one of the most breathtaking masterpieces in history.
Source => artincontext.org

5. Camera Shy Chapel

Say cheese, or rather, don't: Michelangelo's famed Sistine Chapel may not have struck a pose during its "extensive spa treatment" in the 1980s, but the ban on photography within the sacred space isn't about saving face among frescoes – it's due to an exclusivity deal with Nippon Television Network Corporation of Japan. They funded the beautiful touch-up and, in return, received exclusive rights to photograph and film the restored art, with the no-cameras rule remaining in place ever since.
Source => mentalfloss.com

6. Flash Frescoes

Step aside, Flash: Michelangelo and his pals painted the Sistine Chapel frescoes with lightning speed: In just 11 astonishing months, they created ten masterpieces depicting the lives of Moses and Christ while sneakily connecting their significance, and even included a not-so-subtle warning against challenging God's appointed leaders. Meanwhile, the papal portraits above showcased the divine ancestral line of papal authority, just to drive the point home.
Source => travelingintuscany.com