La Cappella Sistina

by Antonio Paolucci

"Almost twenty thousand people a day visit the Sistine Chapel - people of all origins, languages, cultures and religions. The Sistine Chapel is the irresistible attraction, the object of desire of international museum-goers. The Sistine Chapel, however, though part of a museum visit, is not a museum itself. As a consecrated chapel it defines a unique religious space. Moreover the Chapel truly defines the identity of the Roman Catholic Church. "Thus writes Antonio Paolucci, Art Historian and Director of the Vatican Museums, in the opening lines of his book. This book is an essential tool in helping visitors to understand the reasons which, between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century, led to the creation of the Sistine Chapel, "the greatest representation of human art and spirituality."It aspires to enable visitors to understand the extraordinary theological design which governs the space, as well as helping them to appreciate the different styles and artists (Michelangelo, Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Signorelli) who gave form to the message.

Genres: Art

Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Antonio Paolucci (19 September 1939 – 4 February 2024) was an Italian art historian and curator, who was Director of the Vatican Museums between 2007 and 2017.

Reviews

[Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last time I was at the Sistine Chapel was in 1998. It was closed (Ascension Day), so instead I drank overpriced cappuccinos in a nearby café where – according to my diary – I overheard two American tourists having the following conversation:

‘We should get the check. What cash you got?’
‘I've got a…10,000 lira bill.’
‘Ten thousand? How much is that?’
‘I guess it's like five and a half dollars.’
‘That's so dumb. Why would they have a five-and-a-half dollar note!?’

I'd forgotten they still had lira back then! I have no memory of using anything other than Euros in Italy. Anyway, if you want to get a look at the quite ridiculous frescoes of the Sistina without trying to see past the shoulders of the tour groups, this book might help a little. It boasts of employing ‘innovative Gigapixel technology’, which I suppose just means they bought a decent camera. The reproductions are excellent, bright and close up, although some of them go across the spine, which is annoying. The accompanying text is minimal, and shakily translated. It's not the same as seeing them in situ, but it's the nearest I've got so far.

[arcobaleno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pregevole testo, con l'imprimatur vaticano, che si compone di due parti.
La prima è teorica, curata da Antonio Paolucci, ora Direttore dei Musei Vaticani: in pochissime pagine presenta, in modo molto agile e sintetico, l'intero impianto iconografico della Sistina, da quello quattrocentesco inferiore a quello michelangiolesco della volta e della parete di fondo; dà veloci e indispensabili riferimenti teologico-scritturali e storico-artistici, sull'insieme degli affreschi, secondo una visione tradizionale e consolidata.
La seconda parte è iconografica e merita di per sé l'acquisto. Le tavole sono di grandi dimensioni e alcune contengono sorprendenti particolari ingranditi; da ammirare con attenzione. Mancano però, per la completezza del testo, le immagini specifiche delle vele e delle lunette (fra l'altro scambiate nella legenda finale, in appendice).
A questo punto mi permetto di consigliare, a chi sia interessato all'argomento o abbia in previsione una visita alla Cappella, di leggere anche I segreti della Sistina: il messaggio proibito di Michelangelo, per un altro interessante punto di vista.

[Ada Esiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Müzelerde satılan bu tarz kitaplar genellikle okuyucuya genel bilgi verme amacı güder. Bu da öyle bir kitaptı. Aslında kitaptan çok şapel üzerine yazılmış bir yazıyı, makaleyi andırıyor.
Yaklaşık 20-21 sayfa yazı, gerisi fresklerin illüstrasyonlarından oluşuyordu. Bu yazı kısmı Sistine Şapeli hakkında genel bilgi veren bir kısımdı. Benim asıl ilgimi çeken illüstrasyonların olduğu kısımdı, bu sayede freskleri daha detaylı inceleyebilme fırsatı buldum. İllüstrasyonlar oldukça yüksek kalitedeydi.
Genel olarak beğendiğimi söyleyebilirim, güzel bir okumaydı✨

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of an article than a book and, as the author noted at the beginning, it's useful to read it before visiting the chapel itself and once again after. The images following the text are high-quality and enable you to follow the text nicely and really make sense of the author's analysis. The text itself is somewhat lacking in terms of the quantity of information it provides (at least in my opinion), but it's an OK read for anyone who wants to start getting to know the Sistine chapel.