Sistine Chapel Private Concert Goes to ... Porsche

Michelangelo didn't know it at the time, but his work in the Sistine Chapel would one day provide the backdrop for a sacred gathering of Porsche enthusiasts. Tomorrow, those who shelled out about $6,400 a head to the automaker will hear a concert of classical music in the Vatican's famous chapel, reports the Telegraph. It's part of Porsche's five-day tour of Italy for its car owners. Neither Porsche nor the Vatican is disclosing how much the company paid for the privilege.

It sounds very much—almost exactly, in fact—like a business renting out the Sistine Chapel for a corporate event, but the Vatican insists otherwise, reports Religion News Service. "The Sistine Chapel can never be rented because it is not a commercial place,” says a spokesman. The distinction, apparently, is that the money the Vatican receives will go toward charity projects instead of, say, a new lighting system for the chapel. (More Sistine Chapel stories.)