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Could the Sistine Chapel Close to Tourists?

Where: Rome, Italy
September 7, 2010 at 9:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

Looks like having 4 million tourists clogging the halls of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel each year is taking its toll. During a regular dusting of the frescoes this summer, crews found alarming signs of wear. Apparently the smog, dust and humidity that all those sweaty people generate is harming Michelangelo's famous work.

Antonio Paolucci, the director of Rome's Vatican Museums, told Voice of America that the continuous hordes of tourists are putting a lot of pressure on the Sistine Chapel and that greater efforts must be made to ensure that maintenance inspections are carried out.

He went on to say that in particular, the chapel's filter system, which cleans the air and maintains the temperature, needs to be replaced.

One solution would be to limit visitors or to even shut the chapel down for the necessary repairs. However, Paolucci dismissed that option because he said it wouldn't be right to turn away people who come from all over the world to see the frescoes and other art. But something has to give. And it doesn't really make sense that while officials are alarmed about the consequences of visitor overload, the museums will start welcoming tourists for extended hours, at night on Fridays in September and October. WWJD?

Related Stories:
· Tourist Adoration Endangers Sistine Chapel Art [Voice of America]
· Rome Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: SpecialKRB]

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