By Carmen Elena Villa
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI on Saturday will inaugurate the newly restored Pauline Chapel, which contains the two final works of Michelangelo.
The Pope will celebrate solemn vespers in the chapel, which is within the Apostolic Palace and is used as a private chapel for the Pontiffs. It houses Michelangelo’s depictions of the conversion of St. Paul and the crucifixion of St. Peter, painted between 1542 and 1550.
The €3.2 million ($4.5 million) restoration project was presented during a press conference Tuesday in the Apostolic Palace.
Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Governor’s Office for Vatican City State, expressed satisfaction «that the work ended almost in symbolic concurrence with the conclusion of the Pauline Year, as was programmed Sept. 30, 2008, in a meeting with the outside commission of experts.»
The project began in 2004, at the request of Pope John Paul II. Mauricio De Luca directed the group of painters.
De Luca said the restoration of the Pauline Chapel was the most difficult project that the Vatican Museum restoration group has undertaken, not only because of the surface area of the paintings, but also «because of the complexity of the problems from the technical point of view and because of the decisions related to the overall aesthetic restoration.»
A new lighting plan was installed in the chapel to better display the frescos.
The Pauline Chapel is on the first floor of the Apostolic Palace, close to this Sistine Chapel. It owes its named to the Pope who commissioned it, Paul III (1534-1549).
Besides Michelangelo’s works, there are various artistic treasures depicting scenes from the Acts of the Apostles. Among these are the works of Federico Zuccari and Lorenzo Sabbatini.
