The spectacular towers and gates, which lie within the perimeter walls, are almost never out of sight — all bathed in an atmospheric golden light.

As bishops and priests walk back to the Vatican after a long day they might be dreaming about the the Pearly gates but they will instead be welcomed back by golden neon gates.

They passed through the gates and into a smaller hall, where queues were forming in front of twenty golden grilles housing as many lifts.