VATICAN CITY: The Vatican Museums are offering an early-bird special.
The museums famed for Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and for masterpieces by Raffaello has posted on its website a new guided itinerary that starts at 6 a.m. and finishes with a light breakfast of croissants, juice and coffee.
A video shows a small group of visitors accompanying the museum's key-bearer as he opens doors and gates with a huge ring of dozens of keys, switching on the lights along the frescoed and stuccoed corridors as the tour progresses.
The "Good Morning Vatican Museums" tour lasts about an hour for a maximum 20 people and can be booked at visitespeciali.musei@scv.va.
The Vatican Museums are normally open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and see as many as 20,000-25,000 visitors a day.
