Covid-19: the Vatican Museums reopen their doors
A view of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on January 24, 2021. AP - Gregorio Borgia
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The Vatican Museums, which include the famous Sistine Chapel, announced their reopening on Saturday from Monday, after being closed for 88 days due to restrictions linked to the pandemic.
Other museums in Italy are also reopening their doors.
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The Vatican Museums had not been
closed for this long
since World War II.
After 88 days out of the public eye, the collections will be on view again Monday through Saturday, but visitors will need to book tickets in advance and be allocated time slots.
"
The Pope's museums await you with pleasure,
" the museums announced in a statement.
The Tories took advantage of the shutdown, imposed as part of measures taken by the Italian government to stem the spread of the coronavirus, to carry out maintenance and restoration work.
In particular, the dusting of the 15th century frescoes adorning the side walls of the Sistine Chapel, a museum jewel that attracts some six million visitors per year, was carried out.
This reopening follows Italy's announcement of an easing of restrictions related to Covid-19, with all regions of the country except five having been placed in the “yellow”, low-risk category from Monday.
This allows bars and restaurants to reopen during the day,
as well as museums
.
The Colosseum and the Uffizi museum also open
The Colosseum and Forum in Rome are also set to reopen on Monday, but both sites will remain closed on weekends.
The Uffizi Museum in Florence, which houses some of the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, reopened Thursday, January 21 after 77 days of closure.
Sicily and Sardinia, the regions of Umbria (center), Puglia (south) and the autonomous province of Bolzano (north) are the only regions subject from Monday to stricter restrictions, materialized by “orange” zones. ”At medium risk.
The entire peninsula, however, remains affected by a nighttime curfew, while table service in bars and restaurants must end at 6 p.m.
Italy was the first European country to face the pandemic at the start of 2020. National containment, the collapse of tourism-related trade and widespread closures have since plunged the euro area's third-largest economy in a deep recession, as nearly 88,000 people have died from the virus.
(With
AFP
)
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