Sistine Chapel's chief restorer Gianluigi Colalucci passes away at 92

Rome: The chief restorer of the Sistine Chapel, who revived the "dazzling splendour" of Michelangelo's frescoes, has died aged 92, the Vatican Museums said on 29 March. "Master Gianluigi Colalucci passed away last night," the museums said on their Instagram account.

"It is thanks to his courage and talent that today the colours of Michelangelo's Vault and Last Judgment appear in all their dazzling splendour," the message said.

Colalucci worked on the Sistine Chapel from 1980 to 1994, removing centuries of dust and smoke that had dulled the vivid colours of the Renaissance masterpiece.

"A sad day for the Vatican Museums and for the world of restoration," the museums' director, Barbara Jatta, told the Vatican's news portal, Vatican News. She said she had accompanied Colalucci for a private tour of the museums "only a few days ago," so that he could be shown ongoing restoration works.

He would regularly be called in to give advice, which he kept giving until "recently," for example on the recently restored Room of Constantine, Jatta said.

The Vatican Museums, which include the Sistine Chapel as well as a priceless collection of ancient Roman art, are currently closed due to coronavirus restrictions.