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.
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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.
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"Today is a celebration," said Director Barbara Jatta, who welcomed photographers and television crews inside.
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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.
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Revenue from the museums, which employ 700 people, are crucial for filling the coffers of the Vatican State.
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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.
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A visitor walks down a staircase, designed by architect Giuseppe Momo in 1932, as she leaves the Vatican Museums.
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The Sphere within a sphere by italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro in the Vatican Museum on its reopening day to the public.
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The corridor of the Vatican Museum (Musei Vaticani).
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View of a corridor of the Vatican Museum (Musei Vaticani) taken on its reopening day.
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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.
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