Cystine’s church is a church in the Vatican built in the late 15th century AD, and it is called the name of Pope Sistos IV (1471-1884). The body of the Pope is preserved if he dies until the official funeral of its funeral is organized, as well as the stages of the election of a successor to him, as the Cardinate Complex meets to elect the new Pope.
The Church includes huge murals that depict events from the life of Christ, peace be upon him, and another that embodies chapters of the life of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, as its ceiling and walls decorate drawings and sculptures that express the Christian perception of the worldly life and the hereafter.
In addition to its religious and political function, in which the new Pope is elected, and from it the spiritual leadership of Catholic Christians in the world is launched, the Cystine Church is, along with other churches adjacent to it, one of the largest tourist destinations in the world.
Although it was built for a religious purpose, it has turned throughout the ages into an artistic and architectural masterpiece that attracts millions of tourists annually, they do not intend it with a purely religious tendency, but in order to enjoy its artistic ammunition that covers all areas of the place from the floor to the ceiling through the walls.
Place and status
When talking about the Sistin Church within the Vatican religious, artistic and architectural features, it must be distinguished from a neighboring church, Bazilica, Saint Peter, which was constructed later (in 1506) and there is the shrine of St. Peter, and it is one of the most holy sites among the followers of the Catholic Church.
There is a special corridor linking the two adjacent churches. Contrary to the Church of St. Peter, which opens a lot of its facilities for free to millions of visitors, the valuable authorities on the Cistin imposes fees for the visit.
It should also be distinguished between the Sistin Church and the Vatican Museums, which are like the general museums of the Vatican and displays paintings and works from the huge artistic collection collected by the Catholic ecclesiastical authorities and the papal institution throughout the ages.
The Cystine Church has a rectangular shape, and its area is estimated at about 550 square meters, and it extends along about 41 meters, a width of 13.4 and a height of 20.7 meters, and has 6 curved windows on both the two main (or side) walls, and a domed roof.
Church name
It is generally known as the Cystine Church, and it is actually according to the general meaning of the word church for Christians as a worship house consisting of a lobby and a plate (the basic temple) and forbidden (it is also called the altar or the sacred place).
As for its exact description, according to the standards of the job and space in the Christian religion, it is a small church that does not have the title of parish.
The name of the Sistine Church is drawn from the name of Pope Sistos IV, which was known while he was assumed by the Vatican affairs (1471-1884) under the auspices of the arts and artists, and his other relevant achievements are the construction of the Vatican Library.
Two years after the leadership of the Vatican assumed, Pope Sistos IV assigned architect Giovanni de Dolce to build it according to a unique architectural design inspired by the Suleiman Temple mentioned in the Old Testament and it took place between 1473 and 1481.
Artistic masterpiece
Between 1481 and 1483, the murals were drawn on the side walls of the church, and the northern wall includes 6 murals depicting events from the life of Christ Jesus, peace be upon him, and the southern wall 6 other murals embody chapters of the life of the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him.
These murals bear the signature of artists Beitro Perogeno, Bernardino Bentelikio, Sandro Puticheli, Dominico Genesi, Cosimo Russelli, Luka Signorli and Partulomeo Della Gata.
Besides these works, smaller murals between the windows depict a number of pope activities, and the lower parts of the side walls include a series of paintings created by painter Rafillo de Sanzo, depicting events of the gospels and dialogues.
Michael Anglo’s imprint
The church later crippled a more splendid suit during the reign of Pope Julius II (1503-1513), who commissioned the sculptor Michael Anglo, the most prominent Italian Renaissance artists, drawing paintings covering each area of the church roof (about 500 square meters), and this work took between 1508 and 1512.
The ceiling paintings were designed according to a perception aimed at clarifying some of the features of the Catholic Church’s doctrine, by photographing 9 clips of Genesis.
It was originally wanted by Michael Anglo drawing the messengers of Christ or his dialogues, and they are known as the twelve disciples, but the matter developed into a much larger painting that took 4 years to complete, and included more than 300 personalities inspired by the worlds of Christianity and the atmosphere of the Renaissance.
23 years after the completion of the drawing of the ceiling plates, Michael Anglo returned to the church with a mandate of Pope Clement VII, who asked him in 1535 the large wall drawing of the church, which is located behind the altar table.
Michael Anglo chose for this mural the topic “Day of Resurrection” or “the last account”, and ended in it in 1541, and that was in the Pope Paul III.
This mural embodies the technically the concept of “the last account” according to the Christian belief, as Christ and his virgin and his virgin appeared in the middle of the image and around them about 70 people and “angels”.
The mural of Christ depicts people accountable for their deeds in the world, and a part of them appears as blessed, and another section that is descending from what they committed in their world, and in the scene also many “angels” in the conditions of various indications and shapes.
An electoral scene
With the death of the Pope of the Vatican, the Sistin Church is restored after the religious, which was associated with the first years of its establishment, as the body of the deceased Pope transferred to its rehab before it later transferred to the Church of St. Peter in the funeral funeral ceremony according to the traditions and laws in force in the Vatican.
About two weeks after the departure of the Pope, the Sistine Church turns into an electoral yard in a tradition dating back to 1492, as the members of the Cardinate Complex heal to elect the new greatest ink.
Before the voter Cardinals entered the Cystine Church, coming from the Church of St. Peter, they divide the oath with confidentiality, and others are not allowed to enter the place, and a series of security measures are taken under the supervision of the Swiss Guard to prevent communication with the outside world in any way.
The outside world is reported about the content and path of voting operations on a daily basis by smoke that rises from the top of the church, which is black or white, depending on the course of voting operations.
The color of the smoke is black if none of the candidates gets two -thirds of the necessary sounds for that day, and the black color is produced by burning polling cards in a stove mixed with chemicals for this purpose.
If a candidate is chosen to lead the Apostolic Chair, the polling cards are burned with chemicals to produce white smoke that rises from the church chimney.
After the new Pope’s approval of his willingness to assume the task of the greatest ink, the great Caraders announce the news of the Church of St. Peter, echoing the Latin language, the phrase “Annashio Foubus Godium Magnum .. Habimus Papam”, and means “I preach you with great joy … we have a door.”
After this moment filled with religious symbols, spiritual secrets, and rituals that are deep in the depths of the Catholic heritage, the Cistin Church recovers itself artistic and aesthetic, and begins to attract millions of tourists coming from all over the world.
