Virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel

[rod]

Even for those of us who have been there, and those who have little connection with the tradition, this is high drama at play, allowing a wonderful virtual and leisurely experience:

Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel -- truly amazing


MOVE THE MOUSE AROUND AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Here is an amazing bit of technology that you would never see in person, as you would rarely be alone in the room.
You can't see Michelangelo's artwork close up, as you can here.
This is especially spectacular if you have a large high-definition screen! Too many details to view on an iPhone!
TO VIEW EVERY PART OF THE MICHELANGELO'S MASTERPIECE, JUST CLICK AND DRAG YOUR ARROW IN THE DIRECTION YOU WISH TO SEE.
The four arrow keys are also good.
In the lower left, click on the plus (+) to move closer, on the minus (-) to move away. Choir is thrown in free.
MOVE THE ARROW AND YOU WILL SEE EVERY PART OF THE CHAPEL.
This virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel was apparently done by Villanova at the request of the Vatican .

http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html

Rod

 

[JIA]

Thank you very much thats FANTASTIC

 

[Sam]

Just fantastic, Rod! It's nice to be able to tour the Cappella Sistina without the crowds!

 

[Mike Fennell]

Thanks for posting the site, Rod. It is beautiful, if a bit dizzying.

It also brought back fond memories of a trip I made long ago. I visited in the early spring when it was not crowded and I was allowed, for a short time, to lie on the floor with my head on the step and examine the ceiling through my opera glasses.

At some time there must have been benches against the side walls, because, back then, there was a heavy, dark, greasy 6" wide line about waist-high that ran the full length of both walls, caused by people's heads touching the wall as they sat.

I'm sure that some restoration has been done since then, for the colors are clean, and the "headline" appears to have been cleaned up.

 

[rod]

Indeed there was a major and controversial restoration. Many a person got nostalgically fond of the candle smoke darkened pall and grim that covered the true colors. Nothing much wrong with that, as we grow attached to the darkened patina on old silver, or to the naked marble of Greek original sculpture, shocked to learn that many were vividly painted when new. Eventually we must pay homage to Michelangelo's choice of vivid colors. Huge scholarship was sought and chemical knowledge too, so that we can be pretty confident that the present restored art is not in any way "Photoshop saturated".

Rod