The entire Church and the world are closely watching what is happening in the most famous and well-known chapel: the Sistine Chapel. To make it suitable for the Conclave, no detail is left to chance. Considerable expertise and professionalism lie behind its preparation. It is a task that requires energy, organization, and skilled labor: carpenters, electricians, air conditioning and plumbing technicians, blacksmiths, assemblers, floral decorators, and cleaning staff. A whole range of professional profiles, whose coordination is entrusted to the Governorate’s Directorate of Infrastructure and Services. Silvio Screpanti, Deputy Director of the Directorate’s Infrastructure Area, tells us about it in this interview for www.vaticanstate.va.

What commitment awaits you in preparing for the Conclave?

The Directorate of Infrastructure and Services is involved in both the preparation and technical assistance during the Conclave.

Preparation includes two areas that are taking place simultaneously: on the one hand, the provision of accommodations for the cardinal electors and support staff; on the other, the renovation of the Sistine Chapel.

The first task begins with supporting the Governing Bodies and the President of the Domus Sanctae Marthae in identifying available buildings and accommodations, and continues with the preparation and updating of plans, the definition of maintenance work—both ordinary and extraordinary—on the accommodations to adapt them to the needs, the supply of the necessary furniture, and a thorough cleaning of all spaces.

On this historic occasion, the Directorate’s efforts are especially intense, given that the number of cardinal electors has increased significantly, exceeding 130, as is well known. Therefore, it was necessary to identify and prepare a significant number of additional rooms, as well as to design, together with the Master of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, a layout for the Sistine Chapel that would accommodate the largest possible number of electors, while ensuring compliance with protocol and the comfort of participants.

Other tasks carried out by this Directorate include the installation of the famous stove, the darkening of the windows of the Apostolic Palace, the deactivation of all technological devices and sensors installed in recent years in the Sistine Chapel for the protection of the frescoes and the safety of visitors, as well as the sealing of all access points to the Conclave perimeter.

Finally, the Directorate will make its service personnel available throughout the duration of the Conclave.

How many staff members and what qualifications are required for those involved in this work?

The Directorate is currently employing more than 40 internal workers—including carpenters, blacksmiths, structural fitters, installers, florists, and cleaners—in addition to approximately 20 support workers provided by external companies. More than a dozen technicians are responsible for planning, supervising the work, and coordinating workplace safety, while administrative staff are responsible for accounting for costs and managing purchase orders.

During the event, five technicians, including electricians and elevator operators, five HVAC and plumbing specialists, and two florists, will be present at the Conclave. They will be sworn in and will be on full-time duty, spending the night at the Vatican, with no possibility of contact with their families. Both experienced colleagues, who have participated in previous Conclaves and are familiar with the procedures and requirements, and younger colleagues to whom the role will be passed on for the future, have been selected.

How does your team work before, during, and after the Conclave?

Activities include evacuation, inspection of electrical and air conditioning systems, and extraordinary cleaning of the accommodations assigned to the cardinal electors and support staff at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the former Hospice of Santa Marta, and the Ethiopian College, for a total of approximately 200 rooms.

Each building is partitioned to ensure the isolation of participants, using partitions, temporary doors, and the temporary closure of certain windows to prevent visibility from the outside.

The Directorate is also responsible for providing all the necessary furniture, that is, the minimum essential elements to meet the needs of the occupants (bed, nightstand, wardrobe).

In the Sistine Chapel, in just one week, the entire technological installation was cleaned, and a raised access floor was built to level the Chapel floor and allow for the placement of ceremonial furniture. Next, the tables for the cardinal electors and support staff are set up. Both the floor and the tables are covered by the Florist’s upholsterers. During the setup, technical support is provided for the installation of microphones and cameras from Vatican Media.

The stove is placed in the location provided by protocol, and the chimney flue is connected to the outside by a metal structure with pipes and joints.

The Directorate’s staff is also responsible, as tradition dictates, for darkening all the windows of the Apostolic Palace in the areas designated for the Conclave.

The day before the start of the Conclave, the Directorate’s staff collaborates in the placement of nearly 80 lead seals at all entrances to the Conclave perimeter.

The Florist, for its part, prepares all the ornamentation for the window of the Hall of Blessings from which the future Pontiff will appear.

Since the beginning of the work, as already mentioned, 12 technicians and florists have remained at the Conclave to provide assistance, specifically ensuring the functionality of the electrical, lighting, and air-conditioning systems in both the Sistine Chapel and the lodgings, as well as supporting the masters of ceremonies in using the stove and moving furniture.

Once the Conclave is over, the Sistine Chapel and the lodgings are dismantled just as quickly to allow the Vatican Museums to reopen to the public and the return of the guests of the Domus and the College who temporarily rented their rooms.

Meanwhile, preparations are already underway in the square for the new Pontiff’s first solemn Mass.

What does it mean to you to contribute logistically to the development of this event?

The Directorate proudly safeguards the traditions associated with the preparation of the Conclave, which, along with the Funeral, constitutes one of the most significant moments in the life of the Catholic Church. It is always ready to make available its experience—passed down from colleague to colleague over the years—to ensure maximum speed, professionalism, and efficiency in the short timeframe in which the work must be carried out.

What feelings inspire those involved in this preparation?

It is especially moving to observe the dedication with which each colleague carries out their work in their respective areas of expertise. Everyone is aware that at this moment the Catholic Church presents itself to the world, and it is a source of pride to contribute to the image of sobriety, dignity, and effectiveness that must accompany the spirituality of the event.

Who is in charge of the famous stove, and what happens if a problem arises?

The masters of ceremonies have recently received the necessary training from the Directorate staff on how to properly use the stove, and all necessary smoke emission tests have been discreetly performed. In any case, a specialized technician from our team, confined to the Conclave, will remain throughout the voting process in a small technical room adjacent to the Sistine Chapel, with a remote control for the stove (which is currently activated electronically), ready to intervene immediately if necessary, so that no unforeseen event can hinder the long-awaited and symbolic white smoke.