Sistine Chapel Construction Completed

1477

Pope Sixtus IV consecrated the rectangular chapel built within the Vatican Palace to the precise biblical dimensions attributed to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Its side walls were soon frescoed by Botticelli, Perugino, and Ghirlandaio with Old and New Testament narratives. The ceiling remained plain blue with painted gold stars for another thirty years, patiently waiting for Michelangelo to transform it into the most famous painted surface on earth.