Sistine Chapel Closes to Prepare for the Conclave

Effective at 1:00 pm today (Rome time!), March 5th, the Sistine Chapel is closed to prepare for the Conclave to select the next Pope. The website of the Sistine Chapel lists the information on this closure with the following announcement:

Closure of the Sistine Chapel – In order to accommodate the forthcoming Conclave, the Sistine Chapel will remain closed to the public from 1 pm on Tuesday 5 March until further notice. During the same period, the Borgia Apartment and the Collection of Modern Religious Art will not be included in visits to the Vatican Museums.

Preparations continue as we anticipate the beginning of the Conclave to select our next Pope! Rome Reports shares this closure notice, plus additional information that the Cardinals do not necessarily ALL have to have arrived at the Vatican for a start date to be set for the Conclave: