After ten years of painstaking work, the Vatican Museums have unveiled the fully restored Raphael Rooms, revealing colors and details unseen for centuries.
The project required the removal of centuries of overpaint, grime, and misguided earlier restorations. In several sections entirely new compositional details were discovered hidden beneath later additions.
Art historians from around the world attended the unveiling and praised the quality of the work. The project was funded in part by donations from the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
What we see now is closer to what Raphael himself saw. The restoration has given these masterpieces back to the world.
The restored rooms will reopen to the public later this month. A documentary film about the restoration is currently in post-production and is expected to air on a major streaming platform in the autumn.
