Is the Sistine Chapel really worth a visit?
 

Hi everyone,

I am going to visit Rome between May 30th and June 2nd and thought about seeing the Sistine Chapel (just it, I don't think the Vatican Museums might interest me). The thing is: a friend who's been there told me that in Summer the room is packed, that you have to bend the neck and look at the ceiling in an uncomfortable position, and - the worst of all! - the room is poorly lit (to preserve the paintings). Is it worth seeing such a painting in a ceiling, even if it has been painted by Michelangelo and is considered an icon? I'd rather spend my money in the Uffizi Palace, where it has several paintings I'd love to see in person.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Simply put, yes.

Try to be among the first in.

Buy tickets online. http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...nfo_Orari.html

I believe with advance purchase tickets you can skip the queue and head to the entrance.

It was worth it to me, but if you would rather spend your time in the Uffizi Palace, then that's what you should do. It's your vacation. Spend it doing the things <u>you</u> want to do.

If you have an interest in some of the paintings in the Uffizi, you may want to do a bit more research regarding some of the works in the Vatican Museums. There are many paintings in both locations that I enjoyed viewing.

Personally, I couldn't imagine going to Rome and not visiting the Sistine Chapel. I have gone twice. You do have to look up, but you don't have to stay for an extended period of time if you don't want to. If you think you might have any interest, I would go while you have the opportunity. If you don't, you may regret it later.

The Sistine Chapel is a must-see for art lovers in my opinion. It's true that it will be crowded, but it is amazing. We will be in Rome this summer, and plan to visit the Sistine Chapel with our two teenage sons. Thanks for the link above, Rastaguytoday-skipping the queue will be a big advantage.

Of course, ultimately it only matters what YOU think, but for me, absolutely yes. I wouldn't have missed it. It was crowded, but not awfully so. I don't remember the lighting being that dim. You could easily appreciate the glorious painting.

Also, the Raphael rooms in the vatican museum are most definitely worth it as well. The "School of Athens" was one of my favorite paintings.

I have been more than a dozen times in Rome - in winter, spring, summer and autumn - in the mornings and in the evenings. And everytime, there was a long, long, long line in front of the entrance. You need at least one hour to enter the museum, and inside at least another hour.

>>>in Summer the room is packed, that you have to bend the neck and look at the ceiling in an uncomfortable position, and - the worst of all! - the room is poorly lit (to preserve the paintings)<<<<

That is an accurate description and true for all seasons.

Is it worth it? - Well, I admit that I had better experiences in Italy. I found the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice more impressive and also the Giotto paintings in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova.

And in Rome, I would rather spend half a day for a visit of the catacombs.

Make your decision.

Do you not have to go through the whole of the Papal apartments to get to the Sistine Chapel (I have actually been, but I wouldn't have missed the rest of the place anyway, so didn't pay that much attention)? i.e. I think you can't see JUST the Sistine Chapel. I think my favourites were the Raphael frescoes, in the Papal apartments before the Sistine Chapel. They are wonderful and very much worth seeing. For some reason, I don't remember much about the experience of seeing the Sistine Chapel itself, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not worth seeing - I've been a lot of great places and have a pretty poor memory.

You could try lying on your back on the floor. That would make it easier on your neck but you might get stepped on.

i am not at all an art fan but i went to see it as i felt was one of those things you should do in Rome, and i'm really glad i did. It was really very impressive and even though 5 years ago now, i still remember it fondly, particularly standing there and trying to visualise how it developed over time and take in and put into context quite how long it actually took ( i was picturing a guy up a ladder if i'm honest-am sure art fans will tell me it was done in a far more elegant way but i created my own little visual story and i enjoyed it a lot!).

I also went to see the Mona Lisa in the Lourve far more recently and don't particularly remember anything about it apart from the fact it was smaller than i had expected- where as the sistine chapel really does stand out in my memory clearly. (Although i have to admit part of that memory and the thing i first thought of when i read your past was......oh my poor neck!)

jokes aside i would give it a thumbs up as if it was such a memorable ocassion for a total non art lover like me, then must be pretty cool for art lovers.

You can go to mv.vatican.va for tickets. We bought the first tickets of the day. You then pass the line and go inside and get a brochure. There are two ays designated on the mp to get to the Chapel.

The long way, I believe, gets you to the chapel in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The short way, which is the way you want to go, gets you there in about 15 minutes. we took the short route, did a very fast walk to get there and only found a lone guard. It was fabulous--serene, quiet, magnificent and awe-inspiring. We then went around the long way and ended back up in the chapel and it was packed and we quickly left. jk

we followed the signs to the sistine chapel and it took us about 5 hours to get there.

if you want to use the short cut, make sure you have a good diagram with the route well mapped out.

I would take one of those car mechanic's dollies that they use to slide under a car and that way you can see everything quickly.

My 1st visit pre-internet forums/messageboards for me was Hell on Earth.

Crowds do not bother me unless it's totally packed shoulder-to-shoulder in a confined space.

As soon as I got into the Chapel all I wanted to do was to get *OUT*.

Over the years I have visited the Chapel 5x, a couple of ScalaReale/Context tours (pre-admission and before closing) and in line early (1hr) and beeline straight to the Chapel or late in the day (all visits were off-season).

Given the choice of redoing my 1st visit or being waterboarded, I'd go with the latter :-).

So if you can avoid the mob scene you will likely enjoy your visit a lot more. Regards, Walter

colduphere wrote; �

"You could try lying on your back on the floor. That would make it easier on your neck but you might get stepped on."

I think 'crowd surfing' would be a better option:-).

http://chzmusic.files.wordpress.com/...his-rib-up.jpg OR http://tinyurl.com/8x9y7bz

Two years ago, we went on one of their late night Friday openings (we were there mid-May). We were fortunate and it was almost empty.

The museum is open from 7-10 pm. So worth it. Vatican web page says online booking is required.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

Sorry, in hindsight I realize that that photo might offend some people.
I wasn't thinking when I posted it.

My apologies to anyone's religious beliefs I offended. Regards, Walter

Yes, you do have to go through the rest of the Vatican Museums to get to the Sistine Chapel. But if you go early, the crowds will not be a problem, and if you slip out the exit door to the right, you can walk directly into St. Peter's without waiting in line (you DID want to visit St. Peter's Basilica, didn't you? I wouldn't miss it.)

BTW, you do realize that the Uffizi is in Florence, not Rome, right? Did you mean the Borghese?

I have been to the Vatican Museums at least five times and the most enjoyable visit was on a Friday night in June of 2010. We had the first entry, which I think was at 7 p.m. and although it had been hot all day, there was a cool breeze throughout the museum. We virtually had the place to ourselves. DD is not an art person, but really enjoyed herself and was awed by the Sistine Chapel. We spent over an hour in the Chapel alone and were not crowded by throngs of people. I have been in the Museum at first opening and in the late afternoon during all four seasons. Up until this visit, I always could make it about half way through (sometimes less) before becoming claustrophobic and chomping at the bit to get out of there. If you can do it, get tickets for the Friday night opening. I think you'll love it.

Perhaps use a preview: http://www.vatican.va/various/cappel..._vr/index.html

Maybe you'll discover a portion that you particularly want to see in person by having a peek ahead.

(I've not seen it myself, yet, but I really like the opportunity to get a virtual look.)

I have a bit of a different view. I visited Rome for four days and did not go to the Sistene Chapel, and I don't feel like my trip was anything other than wonderful. I didn't decide NOT to go, it just worked out that way. At first I was panicked about getting it all in. Then I realized that rather than getting in a list of "must dos" I could just enjoy every step along the way. There are wonderful things around every corner in Rome and although you can't do it all you also cannot go wrong. Can you say one thing is better than another? I don't think that is the right question. There will be a next time, and maybe then I will make it to the Sistene Chapel. Maybe so. Hope so. But would I trade the experiences I had during my first four days? No!