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For centuries Rome has been regarded as at the centre of art and culture in Europe. Rome led The Renaissance that spanned from approximately the 14th to the 17th century and in terms of architecture, fashion and art, still lead the way in Europe. To take advantage of all that Rome has to offer, make sure you stay in Accommodation in Rome, right at the centre of Rome.

Michelangelo created some of the most fantastic art to have come out of Italy. A sculptor as well as a painter, he devoted himself to work in the churches and basilicas of Rome. Michelangelo´s last, and probably most famous work, The fresco of The Last Judgment painted by Michelangelo between 1535-1541, on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, was commissioned by Pope Clement VII, who died shortly after assigning the commission. Paul III was instrumental in seeing that Michelangelo began and completed the project which he labored on with from 1534 to October 1541. Today, the chapel receives millions of visitors each year, all of whom come to see the fantastic painting that took Michelangelo years to complete.

The work was constructed on a grand scale, and spans the entire wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel. The Last Judgment is a depiction of the second coming of Christ and the Apocalypse. The souls of humanity rise and descend to their fates as judged by Christ and his saintly entourage. The wall on which The Last Judgment is painted looms out slightly over the viewer as it rises, and is meant to be somewhat fearful and to instill piety and respect for God’s power. In contrast to the other frescoes in the Chapel, the figures are heavily muscled and appear somewhat tortured—even the Virgin Mary at the center seems to be cowering before God. It is difficult to get into the chapel and you have to be there very early in the morning. Luckily, there are lots of Rome apartment and Rome hotels by the Vatican City which makes your chances of visiting the Chapel more likely.

Perhaps the most symbolic part of the chapel is the ceiling, which Michelangelo completed by lying on top of scaffolding on his back. The ceiling is fascinatingly ornate, precise and vivid, and includes nine scenes from the book of genesis. For the central section of the ceiling, Michelangelo has taken four episodes from the story of Adam and Eve as told in the first, second and third chapters of Genesis. In this sequence of three, two of the panels are large and one small. In the first of the pictures, and one of the most widely recognized images in the history of painting, Michelangelo shows God reaching out to touch Adam, who is painted in a fantastically ornate manner.