Sistine Chapel Ceiling Completed

Between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, commissioned by Pope Julius II. Working on scaffolding of his own design, he covered approximately 800 square meters with a fresco cycle depicting nine scenes from Genesis — including the Creation of Adam — flanked by prophets, sibyls, and ancestors of Christ. The ceiling was revealed to the public on November 1, 1512, and the chapel continues to serve as the site of papal conclaves.