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Milk used to paint walls in the Vatican

Belvedere Palace, the 500-plus year old building which protects the artwork in Vatican City, gets a paint pick-me-up this year. But not just any refresher or restoration… officials are lining the walls of this historic building with milk.

Pope Francis’ concern for the environment seems to have spurred this decision. Using the same technique as his predecessors did centuries ago, the Vatican’s chief architect uses a combination of milk (from the Pope’s actual cows), lime, and natural pigments.

“We’re not nostalgic for the past,” said the Vatican’s chief architect, Vitale Zanchettin.

“The point is that we think these solutions age better. They are tried and tested.”

Read more about the Vatican’s ecological efforts in restoration in the original article here: http://www.cnn.com/style/article/vatican-milk-eco-restoration/index.html

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Ralph E. Jones strives to be as environmentally-conscious as possible. We dispose of unused paint properly so as to cause minimal disruptions to the earth and to people.