{s} of or pertaining to any of the popes named Sixtus; of or pertaining to the Sistine Chapel (famous chapel in the Vatican that was painted by Michelangelo)
a chapel in the Vatican, Rome, famous for the paintings on its ceiling done by Michaelangelo, which many people consider one of the most impressive works of art in Europe. Papal chapel in the Vatican Palace, Rome, constructed 1473-81 by Giovanni dei Dolci for Pope Sixtus IV (for whom it is named). It is the site of the principal papal ceremonies. Its exterior is drab and unadorned, but its interior walls and ceiling are decorated with frescoes by Florentine Renaissance masters, including Perugino, Pinturicchio, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Luca Signorelli. Portions of the walls were once covered with tapestries designed by Raphael (1515-19). The most important works are the frescoes by Michelangelo on the ceiling and the western wall behind the altar, considered among the greatest achievements of Western painting. The ceiling frescoes, depicting Old Testament scenes, were commissioned by Pope Julius II and painted 1508-12; the Last Judgment fresco on the western wall was painted 1536-41 for Pope Paul III. A controversial 10-year cleaning and restoration of the ceiling was completed in 1989, and of the western wall in 1994