Tourists are coming back to the Vatican Museums. And although those who buy their tickets online are spared the line, they can now buy them last minute at the entrance.
This is the first time I've been here, ever. I'm excited I don't really know what to expect. Old stuff? I don't know.
We're tourists so we just wanted to do some tourist things while we're here. We've been to a few places, Trevi fountain, and today we're doing Vatican and the Museums.
This is my first time in Italy, I didn't come here before because it was the first place the pandemic hit, so we didn't come here.
It's our first time here at the Museums and the Vatican, we have to take advantage of the fact that the pandemic has opened up a little, so let's keep taking care of ourselves, right?
To enter the Museums tourists must wear a mask and show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test, as will be the case until the end of May. But the Museums are still a long way off from the more than six million visitors they had before the pandemic, but bit by bit the numbers are coming back. And along with the Sistine Chapel they are one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
MSGR. PAOLO NICOLINI
Vice-director, Vatican Museums
In addition to the Americans, French, other Europeans, tourists come from countries that surprise us. I have noticed that in this painful moment for all humanity, for example, Russian tourists are also coming, and we love this. Of course, Asia is still a continent from which there is no travel.
Covid-19 harshly tested the Holy See's finances. The Museums was one of Vatican City State's most important sources of income. Despite being closed during the pandemic, Pope Francis asked that none of its employees be laid off. With the numbers of visitors on the rise, these treasures in the Vatican are finally starting to once again produce returns.
MSGR. PAOLO NICOLINI
Vice-director, Vatican Museums
For the last month and a half we have been receiving an average, between 14 and 15 thousand daily visits, depending on the day of the week, which on weekends reaches between 22 and 23 thousand. They are far from the numbers in 2019, where we experienced a boom of visitors, but they are figures that we are very satisfied with and grateful for. And especially because whoever comes, and comes from abroad, is an international visitor.
The Vatican Museums were founded in 1503, the year in which Pope Julius II donated his private collection to the Holy See. Since then, the Museums, which also lead to the Sistine Chapel, have become one of the largest collections of art in the world.
JM
