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biggest economies, Monday let a brilliant ray

shine through the gloom as several of the top

museums globally reopened to flaunt their riches.

All of the Netherlands rejoiced in a relaxing of

the lockdown measures that have kept people

away from bars, restaurants, cinemas — as well

as some of the greatest cultural institutions in

the world.

“Welcome back,” said Rijksmuseum General

Director Taco Dibbits as the first visitors filed into

the vast museum in central Amsterdam

At the adjacent Van Gogh Museum the welcome

came with — what else? — sunflowers. Any

visitor leaving the museum was given one of the

yellow flowers famously depicted by the Dutch

painter’s brush to celebrate the re-opening.

Across the continent, museum officials rejoiced

as visitors were let in again.

“Today is a day to celebrate, a day of great

joy, said director Barbara Jatta, as her Vatican

Museums reopened on Monday. “The

significance of this reopening is hope. It is a

great hope that we can return to the normality.”

Some 1,600 people reserved tickets in advance

to see the Sistine Chapel and its sublime

walls and ceilings on the first day the Vatican

Museums opened to the public after a three-

month coronavirus shutdown.

The show of people delighted Jatta. “I must say

today is also a day of double celebration.”

During peak summer months, the Vatican

Museums routinely would have an hours-long

line of tourists waiting to enter since there was

no advance reservation system to schedule

visit times.

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