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See what I mean about the dome’s interior looking like an ornate Fabergé egg? Giorgio Vasari designed these frescoes of the Last Judgment (1572-9), which were painted mostly by his student Frederico Zuccari. I always have to laugh at how much time and territory is devoted to depicting inventive visions of Hell’s tortures. The bottom of the fresco features grotesque demons whose principle interests seem to be flaying people alive and sticking flaming poles up their butts. In contrast, Heaven looks pretty boring, with everyone basically sitting around looking down upon the show in Hell, like spectators at a gladiatorial event.

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