From the majestic art to the white smoke, here's what to know about the Sistine Chapel, the sacred site of the conclave.

The Sistine Chapel is a renowned site of religious and artistic significance within the Vatican. Built from 1473 to 1481 and ...

Following the death of Pope Francis, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will gather at some point next month to elect ...

The Vatican is closing the Sistine Chapel to the public as part of preparations for the conclave to elect the next pope after ...

The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope after the ...

The conclave typically begins 15 to 20 days after a papal vacancy occurs, and while some last only days, the longest has ...

It’s pretty cool.” The next gallery has walls of deep red and is devoted to drawings for Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment,” which was painted nearly 30 years after the ceiling on the ...

WHERE DOES THE CONCLAVE TAKE PLACE? The cardinals hold their election in the Sistine Chapel, under Michelangelo's frescoes of the Last Judgment and of Bible scenes, including the creation panel ...

It is most renowned for Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes and The Last Judgment, painted on the altar wall 60 years after the chapel’s construction. The fresco depicts more than 300 figures ...

Read the essay The overwhelming grandeur, scope and vision of Michelangelo’s miraculous Sistine Chapel ceiling and “The Last Judgment” frescoes transcend reason and defy human capability.