The Sistine Chapel

by Fabrizio Mancinelli

The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is considered the epitome of the great Italian Renaissance and this richly illustrated volume guides the reader through the history of the chapel and its world famous frescoes by Michelangelo. Covered in depth is the acclaimed restoration which cleaned the frescoes from centuries of dirt and grime bringing to light the original colours of Michelangelo's masterpiece. Chapters include: The Sistine Chapel, The Original Decoration of the Chapel, The Ceiling, The Last Judgment, The restorations between 1964 and 1994, Short History of the Sistine Chapel, Bibliography.

Genres: History, Art, Nonfiction, Travel, Reference

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was designed to be a gift shop purchase. I had the early ticket to the Vatican and can speed read, so I read it in the gift shop before going in. It was a great introduction to what I was about to see. About 50 pages of text and the rest are images of the amazing art of the Sistine Chapel.

The history that is provided is a great supplement to what the recordings in the museum say. They go in a bit more detail about the great artists that were a part of making the Sistine chapel what it is today. The recorded tour really only talk about Perugino and Michaelangelo.

I think if it had not been for this book, I would not have even known that Botticelli (one of my all time fav artists) is incorporated. It would have been a lot less clear to me who was what when staring at this amazing monument. There are also great insights into what precisely to look into in the amazing work. Although I must say, the recorded thing gives you a lot.

In all reality, nothing - no representation, no book - can ever do justice to the actual Sistine Chapel. But I think going in, you will definitely have an endless sea of questions. So, 4 stars. Glad I'm a speed reader and could polish this off very quickly.

[Amanda Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but detailed book, with close up, full page colour photos of the various parts of the ceiling/paintings and a short section at the back details the cleaning and restoration that was done.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great photos. Not well written.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shared with my grandmother during a visit for her birthday

[Diana Bustamante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more than you’ve ever wanted to know but some beautiful up close photos

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever been to the Sistine Chapel and you wonder what it all means and who all those people up there are, this is an excellent guide. Short, to the point. Lots of very good illustrations. I could have read more about the restorations.