Sistine Chapel's conclave preparations leave tourists shut out

By Malgorzata Wojtunik and Leonardo Benassatto

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - It is one of the wonders of the world, attracting millions of visitors every year. But those now in Rome hoping to admire the Sistine Chapel will not get their fix of its monumental Michelangelo frescoes.

"Notice is hereby given that the Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public from Monday 28 April 2025 for the requirements of the Conclave," reads a terse statement on the Vatican Museums' website.

The conclave, the secret meeting to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis, starts on May 7, but preparations to host the more than 130 cardinals due to take part take several days.

"To come from so far, to not be able to go into one of the major sites is very disappointing," said Leonie Shannon, a 67-year-old tourist from Australia.

The chapel's ceilings are adorned with scenes painted between 1508 and 1512 from the Bible's Old and New Testaments. The most famous is "The Creation of Adam", in which God reaches with his finger to touch the outstretched hand of the first man.

Michelangelo also painted the awe-inspiring "Last Judgment" on the wall behind the altar, while other Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Perugino and Ghirlandaio decorated its side walls.

"This is a truly great work of art that we've studied, so we hoped that we could witness it firsthand," said Guo Feng, one of a group of art students from China. "It's really unfortunate that we can't see it on this trip. It's a big regret for us."

But many visitors also acknowledged the extraordinary circumstances that required the closure of the most popular part of the Vatican Museums.

"We were a little bit sad (when) we heard the Sistine Chapel was closed, we really wanted to see the 'Creation of (Adam)', right?" said Ahmad Mourad, a visitor from Texas in the U.S. "But we understand the situation and everything."

Even without the chapel, the Vatican Museums contain one of the great art collections, stretching from ancient Roman sculptures to 19th- and 20th-century masters such as Van Gogh and Matisse.

"(It) would have been amazing to see the Michelangelo, ... I mean, that's stunning. But look, I think we still enjoyed what we saw. There were still many, many, many rooms that we could explore ... But yeah, obviously disappointed," said Australian Sharyn Davis.

(Reporting by Malgorzata Wojtunik and Leonardo Benassatto, writing by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Kevin Liffey)