(ANSA) Vatican City - After three years of preparations,
dazzling new lighting in the Sistine Chapel has spirited almost
three-dimensional life into Michelangelo's muscular nudes
awaiting the Last Judgement, an advance peek arranged by the
Vatican disclosed.
The innovations, costing sponsors as much as some 3 million
euros, are designed to enable the frescoes to survive the
rigours of mass tourism while at the same time the Vatican seeks
to reduce the number of visitors to the chapel and the time of
each visit.
Starting in the early months of 2015, Vatican Museums
Director Antonio Paolucci said, "visitors to the Vatican Museums
are going to be offered special disposable 'intelligent glasses'
that will enable them to explore the Sistine Chapel in 3D and
go deeper into its history before the actual visit".
"The frescoes by Michelangelo and other great painters will
thank us themselves for these installations," Paolucci told a
throng of reporters and television crews shown the new lighting
and air conditioning systems on Wednesday evening.
"The change of air and the control against pollutants
together with the lighting will allow appreciation of both the
entirety and the details of the Chapel," the Director added.
In particular, the new lights draw greater attention to the
splendour and vivid colours of the frescoes lining the chapel,
including works by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino.
The Germany company Osram has installed more than 7,000
light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in a rail-like structure perched
high on the walls of the chapel to protect the artworks and
provide improved lighting. Osram says they will use up to 90
percent less electricity than the old system.
The cutting edge lighting and air conditioning are intended
to honour the 450th anniversary of the death of Michelangelo and
the 20th anniversary of the end of the major restoration of the
maestro's frescos by Fabrizio Mancinelli and Gianluigi
Colalucci.
Nearly 6 million tourists a year visit the chapel to enjoy
Michelangelo's ceiling and his depictions of the Last Judgment
on the altar wall.
A closed-circuit television system able to count the number
of people present in the Chapel will retain the temperature at
between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius while humidity will be kept at
50-60%.
After the preview journalists were given a slap-up dinner
washed down with fine wines and sparkling mineral water.
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