OFF THE TICKER : Sistine Chapel Gets Breath of Fresh Air
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Michelangelo can now, in a manner of speaking, breathe a little easier.
Officials of Carrier Corp., a distributor of heating and air conditioning systems, will formally present--in a ceremony attended by Pope John Paul II--an environmental control system for the Sistine Chapel.
Officials say the sensory control system will regulate the humidity and temperature inside the chapel to protect the precious frescoes Michelangelo completed in 1512.
About 2 million people visit the chapel each year. The traffic brings dirt into the building, which then accumulates on the frescoes’ surface. Heat and humidity caused by so many people in one place can also damage the paintings.
During the last eight years, Vatican scientists and scholars have worked to remove the filth of five centuries and restore the works’ brilliant colors.
Carrier says its environmental control system, involving 92 sensor and air ducts, will protect these efforts.
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