The Sistine Chapel or the Cappella Sistina is a chapel of the Apostolic Palace. It was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV in 1475, hence, it being named after him. It was designed with the purposed of being the chapel of the pope and to this date, is still where papal elections occur. The walls are decorated with frescoes by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino, to name a few of the painters. The frescoes took 11 months to complete.
The fame of the Sistine chapel comes mainly from the ceiling painted by Michelangelo which was originally painted by Piero Matteo d'Amelia. This commission came to him in 1508 from Pope Julius II della Rovere. He was called away from his work on the pope's tomb and didn't want to paint these frescoes. It wasn't completed until 1512.
He was called back, again unwillingly, by Pope Clement VII to paint The Last Judgement on the Altar Wall.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel
http://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-sistine-chapel
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-sistine-chapel
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