FOUR VOLUME BOOK SERIES DEDICATED TO THE SISTINE CHAPEL TO BE RELEASED

A SERIES OF FOUR BOOKS PRESENTED RECENTLY AT THE VATICAN SEEKS TO EXPLAIN HOW MICHELANGELO AND OTHER ARTISTS TRANSLATED THE BIBLE INTO IMAGES TO PRODUCE THE SISTINE CHAPEL SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST RENOWNED AND DAZZLING FRESCOES. THE FIRST VOLUME FOCUSES ON MICHELANGELO'S CEILING AND ITS SCENES FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS AND THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. VATICAN MUSEUMS DIRECTOR ANTONIO PAOLUCCI SAID THE VOLUME OFFERS A 'BASIC CODE' TO UNDERSTAND THE SYMBOLS AND SCENES THAT ADORN THE ROOM WHERE POPES ARE ELECTED. "EVERYBODY KNOWS THE SISTINE CHAPEL, BUT HOW MANY CAN RECOGNIZE THE SCENES?", PAOLUCCI SAID AT THE BOOK LAUNCH JUST STEPS AWAY FROM THE SISTINE CHAPEL. HE SAID THE BOOK SUCCEEDS IN CLARIFYING 'THE INFINITE FOREST OF SYMBOLS THAT ARE ALL LINKED TO EACH OTHER' IN THE CEILING THAT THE RENAISSANCE MASTER PAINTED BETWEEN 1508-12. THE SERIES IS CALLED "THE PAINTED WORD" AND IS PUBLISHED BY THE VATICAN MUSEUMS' PUBLISHER ALONG WITH ITALIAN DAILY IL SOLE 240ORE. THE FIRST INSTALLMENT, A COFFEE-TABLE VOLUME RICH IN PHOTOGRAPHS, COMES OUT FRIDAY. TWO MORE WILL FOLLOW FOCUSING ON THE WALL PAINTINGS BY THE 15th CENTURY ARTISTS SUCH AS BOTTICELLI AND THE SERIES WILL END 11.DECEMBER WITH A VOLUME ON MICHELANGELO'S LAST JUDGMENT.