Los 133 Cardinals voters that meet since Wednesday in the Conclave to choose the new Pope will vote, as is traditional, in front of the Fresco painted by Miguel Ángel on the altar wall of the Sistine chapel and titled ‘Final Judgment’ or ‘Universal Judgment’which shows Christ represented at the moment that precedes the issuance of the verdict of the trial.
According to the director of the Vatican museums, Barbara jattahe ‘Final Judgment’ of the Sistine Chapel is «a universal icon with which the Vatican museums are often identified », a «Magnetic attraction for anyone who enters ». In addition, it is “a warning” for the cardinals gathered in the conclave, since they must deposit their Voting right on the altar placed before the final judgment.
From this weekend, the Vatican began Sistine chapel preparation to host the conclaveinstalling the Tables and stoves where the cardinals will burn their votes with which they will choose the Successor of Pope Francis.
In images disseminated by the Vatican on May 3, it is observed how operators continue with the facilities inside the Sistine Chapel, riding the structures for the tables and stoves, After firefighters completed on Friday the installation of the fireplace which will announce the new Pope.
The conclave begins this May 7 y After each vote, smoke will come out of the fireplace. If no pope has been chosen, the smoke will be black and If Francisco’s successor has already been chosen, Fumata will come out Blanca. There will be two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon (in total, four), with smoked at the end of the morning and afternoonunless the election occurs before planning, in which case the process would be advanced.
The Sistine chapel owes to Pope Sixto IV Della RoverePontiff from 1471 to 1484, who made the restructuring the Old Magna Chapelbetween 1477 and 1480.
The decoration, of the fifteenth centurywas made by a team of painters originally formed by Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rossellicontributed by their respective workshops and by some of their collaborators, among which stand out Biagio di Antonio, Bartolomeo della Gatta y Lucas Signorelli.
Thus, on the walls False curtains were painted, the stories of Moses and Christ and the portraits of the pontiffs. Besides, On the vault, Pierte D’Amelia painted a starry sky. The realization of the frescoes began in 1481 and concluded in 1482. Of this era they also date the tranqueo, the choir, and the pontifical shield on the entrance door. August 15, 1483, Sixto IV enshrined the new chapel to the Assumption of the Virgin and dedicated it to her.
Already in the 16th century, Julio II of the Rovere (Pontiff from 1503 to 1513) and nephew of Sixto IV, decided to partially modify its decoration, trusting the I commission Miguel Ángel in 1508, who painted the vault and the lunetos, in the upper part of the walls. In October of 1512 The work was over and all the saints day, Inaugurated the Sistine With a solemn mass.
-In the nine central boxes, the Genesis storiesfrom the creation to the fall of man, the flood and the new rebirth of humanity with Noah’s family.
Towards the end of 1533, Clearly VII of Media (Pontiff from 1523 to 1534) He commissioned Miguel Ángel to modify, once again, the decoration of the Sistine, painting on the altar wall the Universal judgmentfresh in which the artist wanted to represent the Glorious return of Christ in the light of the New Testament texts. Miguel Ángel began the great work in 1536 and the ended in the fall of 1541, when he was 60 years old. Between 1979 and 1999, the Frescos from the Sistine Chapel were completely restored.
In 1996, the Sistine Chapel became the official headquarters of the Conclave with the Constitution Apostoclica ‘universe Dominic’ of John Paul IIalthough the first conclave that was held in this place was in 1492.
«The Sistine Chapel is the place that for every Pope encloses the memory of a special day of his life. Precisely, on this site, In this sacred space, the cardinals are collected, waiting for the manifestation of the will of Christ with respect to the successor of St. Peter »Pope John Paul II pointed out.
The entire vote ritual
On this occasion, the chapel will be furnished with Cherry chairsmarked from Name and surname of each cardinal votery Raw wooden tables, covered with beige fabric and burgundy satin, arranged in two rows of different levels.
In front of the altar, under the ‘Last Judgment’, a TOSCA WOODER URNA TABLE where ballots will be collected with the votes and a League with the Gospelon which the cardinals will provide oath.
The calls to choose the 267 ° Pedro Successor They will not walk on the cosmatesco floor of the Sistine Chapelbut on a flat wooden structure covered by a beige fabric, 50-60 centimeters in the ground and in line with the second climb of the altar.
For each cardinal, there is a velvet bag to collect cards and markers with their namestogether with A pena Red support folder y A voting ballot.
