Good Will Hunting at the Sistine Chapel

I stood at the back, against the dark-paneled wall. Slowing tilting my head up, the massive painting began to grow - doubling, tripling in size - until my eyes were fixed on the ceiling above and the sides of the chapel consumed my peripheral vision.

It was the most beautiful chapel I had ever seen. Of course, I'm sure that's the reaction of almost all the visitors who travel the Vatican's Sistine* Chapel, featuring one of man's greatest art masterpieces.

Be quiet

Silence fell over the crowd of visitors to the chapel.

Well, actually, it didn't - and that is the only problem with the Sistine Chapel. Its impressive grandeur can so inspire that many visitors will talk amongst themselves about the historical background of the art and artists. Each visitor carries a guide book, pointing out random details to his or her traveling companions...and while they excitedly recognize the masterpieces and are taken in by their splendor, they often forget that this chapel is, for many, a deeply spiritual place.

To help quiet the crowd, Vatican ushers remind visitors in various languages over the chapel's speaker system (certainly an addition since Michelangelo painted the famed ceiling in the 16th century) not to speak. It is a holy place - a spiritual oasis not just for Catholics, but for anyone who finds themselves stunned by the feeling of being wrapped in some of the world's greatest masterpieces. The artwork swallows the spectator...the brilliant colors of humans, angels and God painted against the blue of a painted sky.

Good Will Hunting

Standing there against the back of the magnificent chapel, I was reminded of a scene from the movie Good Will Hunting.

The main character Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon) seems to know almost everything one can read in books, including much about the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo. He knows the history of the various artists, the architecture of the buildings and the compositional facts about many of its masterpieces.

And while Hunting's knowledge of the Chapel is understandably impressive, his psychiatrist Dr. Sean McGuire (played by Robin Williams) asks him if he's ever been to the chapel itself. McGuire asks the young man if he knows the crisp smell of the chapel or has realized the brilliance of its colors up close.

Most people have heard of the Sistine Chapel, arguably the most famous chapel in the world. We have heard the stories of Michelangelo's ingenious painting of the ceiling. We've seen pictures of Adam's outstretched finger reaching toward God in the panel depicting man's creation.

But to only read about the Sistine Chapel in books and view these scenes in glossy pictures is to not experience the chapel at all. You can't get the best view of the Sistine Chapel by looking at it or up to it - the best view comes from the way the chapel surrounds you, enveloping you in its massive splendor.

When you travel to the Sistine Chapel

The most important thing to bring with you when you travel to the Sistine Chapel is time. It will take a thoughtful person a couple of hours to make it through the various exhibits leading up to the chapel...and a deeply pensive person could spend even more hours. Once you've made it to the chapel, you'll likely want to stay there for a while. Allot at least four hours - even more if you're an art buff - to tour the Vatican museum, which houses the chapel.

You should bring a camera as you can take many pictures in the museum. However, no photography is allowed inside the chapel itself.

Bring extra cash. Lining the walk to the chapel are various giftstands at which you can purchase books on artists like Michelangelo and Raphael, in addition to great souvenirs.

Wear comfortable shoes. As with much of Italy, you will be doing a lot of walking. Some staircases are narrow or have steep ascents.

A guidebook on the chapel or Rome is helpful so you will have a better idea of exactly what you're viewing inside the chapel. If you don't bring a guidebook, however, you'll still be okay because the museum boasts many explanatory placards detailing the history of much of the artwork - and it's written in several languages, including English.

But whether or not you wear comfortable shoes or spend hours in the museum, most important is that you visit -- feel -- the Sistine Chapel.

* note: The Chapel can be referred to in writing as both the Sistene Chapel and the Sistine Chapel.