A night in the Vatican Museums guided by Gianni, the guardian of the 2797 keys

Rome at night.

Gianni pushes open the front door of the Vatican Museums, an imposing bunch of keys in his hand.

In a flash, he rushes into the deserted corridors to open the doors of the galleries, among the most visited in the world.

,” proudly confides this fifty-year-old from Rome, who now knows his locks like the back of his hand.

From the monumental Bramante staircase to the gallery of Geographical Maps, the silhouette of Gianni Crea slaloms between marble sculptures, Roman antiquities and Renaissance paintings.

In a few hours, thousands of tourists will flood into the 1,400 museum rooms.

But before dawn, only the metallic tinkling of his keychain disturbs the silence of the place plunged into darkness.

Also read: The extraordinary history of the Vatican Museums

Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio...

, says Gianni Crea, straight in his suit and tie, scanning the works with the light of his flashlight, during an exclusive visit with an AFP team.

To cover the seven kilometers of route morning and evening, he supervises a team of ten

(literally the

).

,” he explains.

His 25 years in the profession have not diminished his wonder.

,” says this history enthusiast who found himself in this position

. ”

The keys to the Sistine Chapel

In the middle of the pile of keys connected to a large steel ring, certain examples stand out.

The oldest, which dates from 1771 and opens the Pio-Clementino museum, measures around fifteen centimeters.

Others carry a yellow label: these are those which, during the conclave, seal the doors leading to the rooms where the cardinals meet behind closed doors to elect the pope.

But the most precious is the only one not numbered: the one giving access to the famous Sistine Chapel decorated with Michelangelo's frescoes.

According to strict protocol, it is placed every evening in a sealed envelope and kept in a safe, itself protected in a bunker.

, smiles Gianni in the cramped premises, under an official photo of Pope Francis.

In recent years, its morning tour has become less solitary: thanks to a

ticket , small groups – up to 20 visitors – can discover these behind the scenes unknown to the general public, an initiative of the previous director.

on a famous travel site, rejoices Gianni, which has even welcomed celebrities, such as American actors Sylvester Stallone and Christian Bale.

The dome of Saint-Pierre

The visit begins in a spacious varnished wooden elevator and ends with a unique panorama of the Eternal City and the lush vegetation of the Vatican Gardens, topped by the dome of Saint Peter.

But the highlight of the show remains the Sistine Chapel, a jewel of art and architecture that has become the holy grail of visitors and cinema lovers.

Here, there is no rushing visit drowned in the crowd, nor urgent exhortation to move forward without photographing.

Only the silence and the majesty of the place.

From this

, each visitor retains

and the possibility of

, summarizes Gianni Crea.

Hired in 1998 thanks to a priest from his parish, this jovial Catholic has seen his mission evolve with the development of museums, to the point of passing on his passion.

,” he remembers.

,” he adds, moved.

The man who worked under three popes - John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis - has already met the Argentine pontiff but has not yet had the opportunity to book a private visit.

,” he jokes.