Photos: Vatican Museums reopen after COVID-19 closure

Gone were the crowds - but the lucky few who ventured to the reopened Vatican Museums on Monday were treated to centuries' worth of sumptuous artworks, including inside the Sistine Chapel.

After closing for 88 days since November due to coronavirus restrictions, the collection of museums - spread over seven kilometres (4.3 miles) within the Vatican - opened its doors to a mostly local public, capitalising on the empty galleries and a dearth of tourists.

"Today is a celebration," said Director Barbara Jatta, who welcomed photographers and television crews inside.

Museum staff kept busy during the hiatus with restorations, regular artwork maintenance and improvements to the facilities. | Museums employee walk down an aisle of the Vatican Museums as they prepare to open.

Revenue from the museums, which employ 700 people, are crucial for filling the coffers of the Vatican State.

People visit one of Raphael's Rooms in the Vatican Museum in Vatican City, as the city-state eases its closure aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the new coronavirus.

A visitor walks down a staircase, designed by architect Giuseppe Momo in 1932, as she leaves the Vatican Museums.

The Sphere within a sphere by italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro in the Vatican Museum on its reopening day to the public.

The corridor of the Vatican Museum (Musei Vaticani).

View of a corridor of the Vatican Museum (Musei Vaticani) taken on its reopening day.

The museums averaged about 23,000 visitors per day in 2019, said Jatta, who said she hoped to have "a few thousand" daily in weeks ahead.