Sistine Chapel conference: Restoration and beyond
(Vatican Radio) A international conference marking the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel is into its final day.
The two day event organised by the Vatican Museums is entitled “The Sistine Chapel 20 years later: New breath, new light.”
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Arnold Nesselrath of the Vatican Museums.
The conference is focusing its attention Friday on the new air conditioning and purification system and the new state of the art lighting which have been installed in the Chapel and were unveiled earlier this week.
One of the participants at the gathering is Arnold Nesselrath, Delegate for the Scientific Department and Laboratories at the Vatican Museums, speaking about the philosophy of the lighting project.
He told Vatican Radio that “It (the lighting system) was something that was due after the restoration of the frescos of the 15th century from the pontificate of Sixtus the 5th because they are a great symphony with the frescos of Michelangelo. They are telling the history of salvation and to bring this out you need to support this with a fairly unique lighting system…”
Mr Nesselrath adds that the installation of the new OSRAM lighting system was done in collaboration with the art historians and technicians of the Vatican Musuems. He also said there was no intervention on the frescos. “They remained as they were at the end of 1999…”
The conference concludes October 31st at Rome’s Auditorium Conciliazione.