What's gay about the Sistine Chapel? Beside the guys in Catholic drag, there's Michelangelo himself, of course. A quick read through Renaissance art history will tell you that Michelangelo, Botticelli, and even Raphael were known as lovers of men,

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What's gay about the Sistine Chapel? Beside the guys in Catholic drag, there's Michelangelo himself, of course. A quick read through Renaissance art history will tell you that Michelangelo, Botticelli, and even Raphael were known as lovers of men, and all are represented here along the walls of this great art treasure. But the ceiling belongs to Michelangelo alone. So be sure to read his love poems before looking up (they are mostly addressed to his male lovers), and then notice that even his women look like the men he loved in life and made immortal after his death. The famous Michelangelo paintings on the ceiling (Genesis and The Last Judgement) are matched by trump d'oeil paintings of sumptuous fabric by Raphael and Botticelli around the walls. The best time to go is early in the morning when there are fewer tourists, and consider booking a pre-arranged tour since the guides know how and when to snag entrance tickets before they sell out.

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