Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment' gets cleanup as tide of visitors to Sistine Chapel grows
Journalists report in front of a screen with a replica of “The Last Judgment” superimposed on it that covers the scaffolding used for its extraordinary maintenance, during the presentation for press in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — A thin, white film caused by decades of rising visitor numbers has dulled the dramatic contrasts of Michelangelo’s 'Last Judgment' in the Sistine Chapel.
