Stone frescoes painted by Michelangelo more than 500 years ago have been captured in stunning high-resolution photographs.
Every inch of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel has been digitally recorded, thanks to an extraordinary five-year project that captured the famous tourist attraction in 270,000 still frames.
The photographs show frescoes by Michelangelo and other masters in stunning detail.
'In the future, this will allow us to know the state of every centimetre of the chapel as it is today, in 2017,' said Antonio Paolucci, former head of the museums and a world-renowned expert on the Sistine.
Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes include one of the most famous scenes in art – the arm of a gentle, bearded God reaching out to give life to Adam.
The Renaissance master finished the ceiling in 1512 and painted the massive 'Last Judgement' panel behind the altar between 1535 and 1541.