Michelangelo in Rome at a glance: where, for whom, when
The sculptor, painter and architect worked in Rome for several popes, from 1496 until his death in 1564. His works fall into three areas: the Vatican (Sistine Chapel, Pietà, dome), the Capitoline and Palazzo Farnese, and imperial Rome around Termini station, where he turned a hall of the Baths of Diocletian into a church. Only the Sistine Chapel and the palaces have restrictive hours; the rest is freely accessible.
This programme suits those who want to understand why Rome is the city of the Renaissance and early Baroque without having to see everything. Book the Sistine Chapel several days ahead and keep a morning for the Vatican.
The Sistine Chapel
This is Michelangelo's most famous work and the most visited in Rome. He painted the vault between 1508 and 1512 for Pope Julius II: nine scenes from Genesis, from the Separation of Light from Darkness to the Drunkenness of Noah, surrounded by prophets and sibyls. Twenty years later he came back to paint the Last Judgment on the end wall, between 1536 and 1541, for Paul III.
The chapel comes at the end of the route through the Vatican Museums: they are open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 20:00 (last entry 18:00), closed on Sundays except the last of the month, free from 9:00 to 14:00. The ticket costs €20 at the ticket office and €25 booked online. Photography is forbidden in the chapel and silence is requested. Clothing that covers shoulders and knees is required.
The Pietà in St Peter's
In St Peter's Basilica, the Pietà stands in the first chapel on the right as you enter. Michelangelo carved it around 1498-1499, when he was under 25: a Virgin holding the body of Christ on her lap, from a single block of Carrara marble. It is the only work he signed, on the band across Mary's chest. Since a hammer attack in 1972 it has been protected by glass.
Entry to the basilica is free, but expect a security queue, shorter early in the morning. Clothing covering shoulders and knees is required. Michelangelo also designed the dome, from 1546, completed after his death, in 1590; to climb it, see the basilica's page.
The Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli
The church of San Pietro in Vincoli, near the Colosseum, holds the tomb of Pope Julius II, whose centrepiece is the Moses carved by Michelangelo around 1513-1515. The prophet sits with a long beard and the tablet of the Law under his arm; the two small horns on his forehead come from a mistranslation of the Latin Bible. The tomb, planned on a far larger scale, remained an unfinished project that poisoned the artist's life for forty years.
Entry is free. The church is open in the morning and the afternoon with a break at midday; hours vary with the season, see the page.
Capitoline Square and Palazzo Farnese
From 1538 Michelangelo designed the Capitoline Square for Paul III: a trapezoid square facing the modern city, with an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius at the centre (a copy; the original is in the Capitoline Museums) and a monumental staircase, the cordonata. The star-shaped paving, foreseen in his plan, was only laid in 1940. The square is free to enter.
Palazzo Farnese, begun by Sangallo, was completed by Michelangelo, who designed the great cornice and the central window of the façade. The interior can only be seen by reservation (€15); the façade can be seen freely.
The other works, near Termini and the Minerva
The basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, on Piazza della Repubblica, is the former frigidarium of the Baths of Diocletian, turned into a church to Michelangelo's plans from 1563. Entry is free. The great cloister of the neighbouring museum is designed after him: the single ticket for the National Roman Museum costs €15.
In the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, near the Pantheon, the Christ Bearing the Cross, to the left of the choir, is a statue begun by Michelangelo in 1521. On the east side of the city, Porta Pia, the last gate built in the wall, was designed by him between 1561 and 1565.
Summary table: Michelangelo's works
| Work | Where | Entry | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling and Last Judgment | Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums | €20 at the ticket office, €25 online | Mon.-Sat. 8:00-20:00; last entry 18:00 |
| Pietà | St Peter's Basilica | Free | Every day (see the page) |
| Moses | San Pietro in Vincoli | Free | Morning and afternoon, break at midday |
| Capitoline Square | Capitoline Hill | Free | Always |
| Palazzo Farnese (cornice) | Piazza Farnese | €15, by reservation | Guided tours in the afternoon |
| Santa Maria degli Angeli | Piazza della Repubblica | Free | Every day |
Prices checked in October 2026.
A two-day route
Day 1: the Vatican in the morning, preferably at opening time: Vatican Museums up to the Sistine Chapel, then the Pietà and the dome of St Peter's in the afternoon. Day 2: San Pietro in Vincoli and the Colosseum in the morning, then the Capitoline and Palazzo Farnese in the late afternoon. For tickets, read our booking advice, and to know what to wear in churches, our guide to dress codes in Rome.
Going further
For the same century on the painting side, read our guide to Caravaggio in Rome and the one on Bernini and Borromini. To plan your stay, see what to do in Rome in 3 days.
