The Vatican and Microsoft on Monday unveiled a digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica that uses artificial intelligence to explore one of the world’s most important monument’s while helping the Holy See manage visitor flows and identify conservation problems.

In an unprecedented move, the Vatican on Monday “virtually” opened to the world the iconic St Peter's Basilica after unveiling its “digital twin” developed by Microsoft.

Every nook and cranny of Saint Peter's Basilica will soon be laid bare thanks to artificial intelligence and a trove of 400,000 photos of the celebrated Vatican monument, according to a project presented Monday.