VATICAN CITY - The Vatican unveiled a plan yesterday to restore the facade of St Peter's Basilica to its original glory in time for the start of the third millennium. Parts of the facade, almost as big as a football field, will be covered by scaffolding during the three year project to clean the marble and repair damage done by four centuries of natural decay, exposure to the elements and pollution.
The work on the largest church in Christendom starts next month and is due to be completed in September 1999. By then, millions of pilgrims and tourists are expected to begin flocking to Rome for the start of Christianity's third millennium in 2000, which Pope John Paul has declared a special Holy Year. The $5.4 million facelift is being carried out in co operation with Italy's energy giant, ENI.