25 Years Since the Restoration of the Sistine Chapel

The central scene of the Last Judgement showing Jesus Christ as judge, with the Virgin Mary to his left. To the left, the issuing state 'CITTÀ DEL VATICANO'; along the right edge, the commemorative inscription 'CAPPELLA SISTINA – FINE DEI RESTAURI' and '1994 – 2019', along with the Rome Mint mark 'R'. Below the design, the name of designer 'D. LONGO' and the initials of engraver Annalisa Masini ('INC. A.M.').

The Sistine Chapel is regarded as one of the most significant works of art in European history. It owes its status above all to Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling with scenes from the Old Testament between 1508 and 1512, and placed the Last Judgment on the altar wall between 1536 and 1541. This mural, roughly 200 square metres in size, depicts Christ as judge amid saints and the blessed — with the Virgin Mary immediately at his side. The chapel, located in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, is not only the liturgical site of papal ceremonies, including the papal conclave, but also a fixed point of reference for art-historical research and international cultural tourism.

Centuries of candle-soot deposits, moisture, and earlier overpainting had significantly darkened and altered the frescoes. The comprehensive restoration, carried out by the Vatican Museums together with Japanese partners between 1980 and 1994, was regarded upon completion as one of the most elaborate and scientifically precise conservation projects of the 20th century. It revealed Michelangelo's original colouring in a luminosity previously barely known, fundamentally changing the art-historical picture of the master. The Vatican commemorated the 25th anniversary of the completion of this restoration work with a 2-euro commemorative coin in 2019.