The Vatican has made a decision regarding Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment"

The Vatican has always attracted pilgrims and tourists, but their sheer numbers are beginning to threaten its greatest works of art. "The Last Judgment" in the Sistine Chapel requires urgent conservation work.

The Vatican has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, but the 21st century has brought a new kind of " pilgrim " - tourists with cameras, smartphones and endless "must-see" lists.

Unfortunately, every breath, movement, pollution, and micro-vibrations come at a cost and slowly but surely affect the condition of works of art . The anniversary year , the election of a new pope , and a record 6.8 million visitors in 2024 have left Paolo Violini, head of the Vatican Museums ' conservation department, in no doubt: urgent action is needed to preserve the " Last Judgment " for future generations.

The Last Judgement, a work created by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel in the 16th century. License: Michelangelo, Vatican Museums Collection / Wikimedia Commons, Vatican Museums Collection / CC0 (Public domain)

Painted by Michelangelo between 1536 and 1541, the fresco covers nearly 200 square meters of the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel and remains striking to this day. As one might expect, the work depicts the drama of the Last Judgment, with Christ centrally placed. Around him unfolds a dynamic scene of the resurrection of the dead, the salvation, and the damnation of souls.

Unfortunately, due to the excess of tourists, the work is vulnerable to destruction.

Conservation work will begin in early 2026 and, if all goes according to plan, will be completed before Holy Week of the same year. The plan is ambitious. A massive scaffolding will be erected around the entire fresco , complete with an elevator, allowing a team of 10-12 conservators to work at a height of nearly twelve stories.

For tourists and art lovers, this means one thing: if you dream of standing face-to-face with "The Last Judgment" without any obstacles, you need to hurry. The fresco will remain accessible in all its glory until 2025. After that, until the second half of 2026, it will be possible to admire it mainly through scaffolding.