Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment' Gets Major Restoration at Sistine Chapel
A major restoration project is underway on Michelangelo's monumental fresco, 'The Last Judgment,' in the Sistine Chapel, marking its first significant cleaning in more than three decades. Vatican officials provided a glimpse of the work, revealing the 16th-century masterpiece partially obscured by floor-to-ceiling scaffolding. Restorers are meticulously removing a light, whitish residue—a salty film that has accumulated over years from the sweat and humidity generated by the chapel's nearly 25,000 daily visitors. The cleaning process involves a delicate technique where specialists dip sheets of Japanese rice paper into distilled water, apply them to the fresco's surface, and gently wipe away the salt buildup. Early results show markedly more vibrant and colorful sections, with previously obscured details, such as the hair and crucifixion wounds on the central figure of Christ, becoming clearly visible once again. Vatican Museums chief Barbara Jatta described the film as a 'cataract' that is relatively straightforward to remove, though the scale of the work is immense. The high volume of tourists is a primary factor, and climate change is also cited as contributing to the problem, as rising temperatures cause visitors to sweat more, increasing humidity levels that react with the fresco. Despite the ongoing work, the Sistine Chapel will remain open to the public throughout the estimated three-month cleaning period, though views will be partially obstructed. Art historian Elizabeth Lev reflected on the significance of the restoration for preserving one of the world's most visited artistic treasures for future generations.
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The scaffolding covered with a ... at the Sistine Chapel on Saturday.Alberto Pizzoli / AFP - Getty Images · Climate change also has a role to play, since the visitors who do come tend to sweat more, creating even more humidity that reacts with the fresco, he said. Vatican Museums chief Barbara Jatta described the film as a “cataract” that is easy enough to remove: Restorers dip sheets ...
Michelangelo's Last Judgement gets a facial as Vatican shows off its cleaning operation in the Sistine Chapel | Daily Mail Online
Restorers will dip sheets of Japanese rice paper into distilled water and apply them to the fresco and then carefully wipe away the white film. The cleaned sections of the fresco are reportedly markedly more vibrant and colourful than the areas that have not been cleaned yet. On the figure of Jesus at the centre of the fresco, for example, you can now see how Michelangelo painted his hair and the wounds of his crucifixion. The Sistine Chapel ...
Michelangelo’s ‘The Last Judgment’ undergoes first significant restoration in decades | The Independent
Michelangelo’s monumental fresco, ... significant restoration of the artwork in three decades. The Vatican provided media with a glimpse of the ongoing work on Saturday, revealing the imposing fresco obscured by floor-to-ceiling scaffolding within the Sistine Chapel....
Michelangelo’s Famous Sistine Chapel Fresco Gets Deep Clean at Vatican - Fine Day Radio
Restoration experts at the Vatican are carefully removing decades of salt buildup from Michelangelo's The Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel. The white film accumulated from sweat and humidity produced by the nearly 25,000 daily visitors to the Vatican Museums.
Jatta expects the work to be completed ... and the Sistine Chapel will remain open to visitors throughout the three-month cleaning, though scaffolding will partially obstruct views of the fresco. Elizabeth Lev, a Catholic art historian who has guided visitors through Rome for more than two decades, reflected on the significance of the work and what its restoration means for one of the world's most visited artistic treasures. In an interview with OSV News, Lev described ...
Michelangelo's 'Last Judgement', Sistene Chapel restoration under way after tens of millions of visitors since last one - The Dialog
Home Vatican News Michelangelo’s ‘Last Judgement’, Sistene Chapel restoration under way after tens of millions... ... Pope Francis gives the homily in front of Michelangelo's fresco of "The Last Judgement" as he celebrates Mass marking the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the Sistine ...
Michelangelo’s ‘The Last Judgment’ undergoes first significant restoration in decades | The Independent
A woman walks behind a screen with a replica of ‘The Last Judgment,’ superimposed on it that covers the scaffolding used for its extraordinary maintenance during a presentation for press in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice · Michelangelo...
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