After five centuries, the magnificent frescoes on the walls and ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel can now be seen in all of their glory thanks to a new LED lighting system. The unobtrusive 7,000 LEDs provide a surprisingly subtle, controlled light that illuminates the frescoes in a way they’ve never been seen before.

The four channel “mesopic” system hopes to show the frescoes in a manner that replicates Michelangelo’s intensions and provides ten times the light that the previous system offered.

I look forward to returning to the Vatican to get a glimpse of the Sistine Chapel in it’s true splendor. Many years ago, I got to visit the Chapel—pre-restoration—when it was completely empty. And, I’ve seen it since ( but with hordes of other visitors) after restoration.