A British priest copied exactly the painting of the Sistine Chapel in five years

The Church of the English Martyrs in Worthing (West Sussex County, Great Britain) has been visited by 15,000 visitors over the past year: the fact is that it is painted in exactly the same way as the famous Sistine Chapel. The author of the work is the priest Gary Bevans, who never studied painting.

The priest Gary Bevans, visiting the famous chapel in The Vatican was so inspired that he decided to recreate Michelangelo's masterpiece in his church, one and a half times smaller in size. He worked at night by candlelight, it took five and a half years — from 1987 to 1993. First, the artist attached plywood panels to the ceiling and sketched the outlines of the figures, and then worked them out in detail.

The work was worth it: as a result, he created a complete copy of the Renaissance masterpiece. Over the past two years, 30 thousand people have admired the painting, and the church receives up to 60 visitors a day. Tourists come here from Canada, Australia and the USA.

Parish secretary Anna Niven says: "Buses with tourists often come to us. Outside, guests see an ordinary, unremarkable church, but this is what creates an amazing impression of the painting. As soon as people go inside, they gasp and can't believe their eyes."

She adds: "In the Sistine Chapel, the attendants will not leave you alone for a minute, so that you do not linger there, and we allow visitors to admire the painting as much as they want. Some spend three hours in church."

Entrance to the church is free, but visitors can leave donations. The church uses this money to help its parishioners: for example, it organizes a nursery or groups for lonely people.

The Church of the English Martyrs has received a quality certificate on the TripAdvisor website for travelers. According to the website, it is the second most popular attraction in Worthing.