The Vatican is closing the Sistine Chapel to the public as part of its preparations for the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis

The chapel's ceilings are adorned with scenes painted between 1508 and 1512 from the Bible's Old and New Testaments. The most famous is "The Creation of Adam", in which God reache

The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will gather on May 7 to elect a new pope in one of the most famous buildings in the world, the Sistine Chapel. Below are some facts about the chapel: * Named after Pope Sixtus IV and built from 1473-81,

Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. Many world leaders are expected to attend his funeral in Vatican City, including President Donald Trump, Prince William, and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In a break from tradition, Pope Francis chose to be buried outside the Vatican at the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, where he often went to pray during his papacy. Seven earlier popes are buried there, but he is the first in centuries.

The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled to mark the end of the funeral Mass in Vatican City, where mourners joined in a final send-off for a pontiff celebrated as a champion of the poor.