Pope Francis. Photo / AP
Pope Francis has allowed the Sistine Chapel to be rented out for Porsche to entertain 40 high-paying tourists.
At the same time the Vatican announced that it would limit the number of visitors allowed inside the chapel to the current total of 6 million, amid fears that Michelangelo's frescoes are
being damaged by the breath and sweat of so many tourists.
Tomorrow a concert to be performed amid the chapel's splendour will be attended by a select group on an exclusive tour of Italy organised by Porsche.
It is the first time the Sistine Chapel has been rented out for a corporate function. The proceeds will to go to charities working with the poor and homeless. The Vatican would not divulge how much it will earn from the event, but the five-day tour of Rome arranged by the Porsche Travel Club costs up to 5000 ($8060) a head.
Participants are promised "a magnificent concert in the Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo". The concert will be performed by a choir from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, which traces its origins back to the 16th century.