The Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, have closed to the public as Vatican City prepares for a conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 28. The reopening date is uncertain, as conclaves have historically lasted from days to weeks, though modern elections for Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI closed the city for less than a week. The Museums house a vast collection of Renaissance and Baroque art, as well as modern works by artists like Paul Gauguin, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso, and attracted 6.8 million visitors in 2024.
This closure matters because the new pope will inherit stewardship of one of the world's most-visited cultural institutions, which holds immense artistic and historical significance. Pope Francis had a notable presence in the art world, including a 2024 visit to the Venice Biennale and initiating discussions on returning colonial-era artifacts, such as fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece. The conclave's outcome will shape the Vatican's cultural policies and its role in global art restitution debates.