Sistine Chapel gets full digital treatment for future restorations

A 1:1 scale photographic book depicting Sistine Chapel is seen during a news conference in the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican February 24, 2017. Picture taken February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The last time the entire Sistine Chapel was photographed for posterity, digital photography was in its infancy and words like pixels were bandied about mostly by computer nerds and NASA scientists.

Now, after decades of technological advances in art photography, digital darkrooms and printing techniques, a five-year project that will aid future restorations has left the Vatican Museums with 270,000 digital frames that show frescoes by Michelangelo and other masters in fresh, stunning detail.