Vassar College has recreated the Sistine Chapel in Second Life.

The Sistine Chapel was built in the 15th century and is decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo and other great painters of the Italian Renaissance.

In this Second Life recreation, the interior is depicted in great detail, while the exterior is an approximation. Unlike in the real-life chapel, here you can fly up to the top of a wall for a close inspection, look down at the inlaid floor, or even sit on a window ledge!

The lower tier of the chapel normally displays panels with painted draperies. On special occasions, these panels are covered with tapestries designed by Raphael. Here, you can click to show or hide the tapestries whenever you want.

The purpose of this recreation is to explore the use of virtual reality for teaching and learning about art and architecture, by experiencing the context, the scale, and the social aspects of the original.

You can visit the Sistine Chapel, on the Vassar Island sim, at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/vassar/165/91/24.