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Sistine Chapel revived by cutting-edge lighting and air-conditioning Sistine Chapel revived by cutting-edge lighting and air-conditioning
(about 5 hours later)
The number of people allowed into the Roman Catholic church’s greatest artistic treasure, the Sistine Chapel, is to be capped and the length of their visits reduced by the use of digital technology. The Sistine Chapel is to cap the number of visitors allowed into the Roman Catholic church’s greatest artistic treasure, and limit the time they stay by using digital technology.
Speaking before the introduction of new lighting and air-conditioning systems for the chapel, where popes have been elected since the mid-15th century, the director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, said: “If the [number of] visitors goes up, we shall introduce a limit of 20,000 visits a day [and] 2,000 at the most at any one time.”Speaking before the introduction of new lighting and air-conditioning systems for the chapel, where popes have been elected since the mid-15th century, the director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, said: “If the [number of] visitors goes up, we shall introduce a limit of 20,000 visits a day [and] 2,000 at the most at any one time.”
About 6 million tourists visit the chapel each year to marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling and his depiction of the Last Judgment on the altar wall. But, in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica, Paolucci said: “From now on, the Vatican Museums will be asking for zero growth.” About 6 million tourists a year visit the chapel to marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling and his depiction of the Last Judgment on the altar wall. But, in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica, Paolucci said: “From now on, the Vatican Museums will be asking for zero growth.”
Like many of Italy’s most popular cultural attractions, the Vatican Museums are struggling to cope with a surge in visitors, as more people acquire the means to travel around the world. Although visitors will get less time to view the chapel, Paolucci said: “Starting in the early months of 2015, visitors to the Vatican Museums are going to be offered special, disposable ‘intelligent glasses’ similar to Google Glass that will enable them to explore the Sistine [Chapel] in 3D and go deeper into its history before the actual visit.”
To protect the ceiling and the other great frescoes decorating the chapel a US firm, Carrier, has installed a new system that will use cameras to assess the number of people in the chapel at any one time and regulate the temperature and humidity accordingly. It will include an air-conditioning circuit to more effectively filter out the dust and carbon dioxide that put the frescoes at risk. La Repubblica said the purpose of the venture was to speed the passage of tourists through the chapel.
The German firm Osram has been installing more than 7,000 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) designed to protect the artworks and provide brighter lighting, while using up to 90% less electricity than the previous system. Like many of Italy’s most popular cultural attractions, the Vatican Museums are struggling to cope with a surge in visitors, as more people acquire the means to travel.
Paolucci said one effect of the calmer light of the LEDs would be to draw attention to the other great works on the side walls of the chapel. They include frescoes by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino that often go unnoticed by tourists with their heads raised to admire the ceiling. It would “exalt all the masterpieces in the most important artistic anthology of the Italian Renaissance down to the tiniest detail [and] without favouring any of them”. To protect the ceiling and the other great frescoes decorating the chapel a US firm, Carrier, has installed a system using cameras to assess the number of people in the chapel and regulate the temperature and humidity accordingly. It will include an air-conditioning circuit to more effectively filter out the dust and carbon dioxide that put the frescoes at risk.
However, it looks as if visitors will get even less time to view the chapel. Paolucci said: “Starting in the early months of 2015, visitors to the Vatican Museums are going to be offered special, disposable ‘intelligent glasses’ similar to Google Glass that will enable them to explore the Sistine [Chapel] in 3D and go deeper into its history before the actual visit.” La Repubblica said the purpose of the venture was to speed up the passage of tourists through the chapel. The German firm Osram has been installing more than 7,000 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to protect the artworks and provide brighter lighting, while using up to 90% less electricity than the previous system.
Paolucci was hosting a conference on Wednesday on the state of the chapel 20 years after the controversial restoration of its frescoes. The restoration brought out for the first time in centuries the startlingly rich, bright colours Michelangelo used, but shocked many art lovers who had grown accustomed to the muted tones of the grime-coated frescoes. But in an allusion to Irving Stone’s novel about Michelangelo’s labours and his turbulent relationship with pope Julius II, Paolucci said the great Tuscan master “wasn’t just agony and ecstasy, but pure colour”. Paolucci said the calmer light of the LEDs would draw attention to the other great works on the side walls of the chapel. They include frescoes by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino that often go unnoticed by tourists with their heads raised to admire the ceiling. It would “exalt all the masterpieces in the most important artistic anthology of the Italian Renaissance down to the tiniest detail [and] without favouring any of them”.
Paolucci was hosting a conference on Wednesday on the state of the chapel 20 years after the controversial restoration of its frescoes.
The restoration brought out for the first time in centuries the startlingly rich, bright colours Michelangelo used, but shocked many art lovers who had grown accustomed to the muted tones of the grime-coated frescoes. But in an allusion to Irving Stone’s novel about Michelangelo’s labours and his turbulent relationship with Pope Julius II, Paolucci said the great Tuscan master “wasn’t just agony and ecstasy, but pure colour”.
Altogether, €3m (£2.4m) has been spent on enhancing the chapel, with the two firms giving their services free. The lighting project, which also involved an Italian firm and universities in Hungary and Spain, received EU financial support.Altogether, €3m (£2.4m) has been spent on enhancing the chapel, with the two firms giving their services free. The lighting project, which also involved an Italian firm and universities in Hungary and Spain, received EU financial support.