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The Sistine Chapel's masterpiece frescoes have been digitized
To prepare for future restoration projects, the Sistine Chapel's world-famous frescoes and mosaic floor have gotten the up-close-and-personal treatment by way of an army of DSLRs. The last time the Sistine's masterworks were documented photographically (both by Michelangelo and other artists) it was a 14-year-long job that wrapped in 1994, according to Reuters. This time out, photographers spread 65 nights of work across five years, resulting in 270,000 digital still photos.
Papal productions going HD for better views of the Holy See
The Vatican has recently unveiled a new six million dollar HD mobile unit, hinting that if seeing is believing, they'd prefer representation in 1080p. To help blunt the cost on the nation's coffers, the Knights of Columbus pledged one million Euros to the initiative ($1.36 million dollars) while Sony also cut the walled-enclave a matching discount -- possibly as a further mea culpa for the Manchester gunfight scene. The new equipment is slated to be fully operational just in time for Pope's Christmas broadcasts and from then on would be rolled out during special Vatican events. Thinking ahead to the future, the system is also designed to be easily 3D upgradable, which head of Sony Italia Gildas Pelliet was sure to mention "can be done in a very discreet, subtle way" while still engaging future audiences with the Pope's message. Combined with his texting habits, a recent YouTube channel, and the Pope2You online portal, Pope Benedict XIV has done quite a lot in his five-year tenure to help one of the oldest institutions get up to speed with today's technology -- let alone for an 83-year-old man.
