Art patronage of Julius II Art patronage of Julius II Pope Julius II (reigned 1503–1513), commissioned a series of highly influential art and architecture projects in Rome. The painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo and various rooms in the Vatican by Raphael are considered among the masterworks that mark the High Renaissance in Rome. His decision to rebuild St Peters led to the construction of the massive basilica we see now. Julius died in 1513, and except for the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which he lived to see finished, his very largest commissions were finished after his death. The term "High Renaissance" was first
Sistine Chapel light-and-sound demonstration explains the content of each of the frescoes. Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in Vatican City. Originally known as the "Cappella Magna", the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480. Since that time, the chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today it is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in