The Vatican Museums unveiled on Tuesday a restoration of one of the crown jewels of their collection: a second-century marble sculpture of the Greek god Apollo that has inspired generations of artists and poets.

Restoration experts spent years working on the "Apollo Belvedere," repairing fractures in its knees and legs, cleaning the entire cream-colored statue with lasers, and installing a carbon fiber pole anchored to its base to increase stability.

"This type of restoration is the expression of what we want the Vatican Museums to be," said Barbara Jatta, the museums' director. "A balance of tradition, linguistics and study, with a gaze that looks to the future."

The Vatican Museums, which house some of the world's greatest Renaissance masterpieces and ancient Roman and Egyptian artifacts, are the Holy See's most reliable source of income. They receive some 7 million visitors a year, generating income of around $100 million.

The "Apollo Belvedere" was one of the first works featured in the museums. It shows the god having just shot an arrow and is famed for its delicate musculature and lightly curled hair.

The sculpture is believed to be a Roman copy of an original Greek bronze statue. Pope Julius II brought it to the Vatican in the early 16th century.

The statue was removed from public exhibition in 2019 when museum staff noticed small fissures in its legs.

The structure was in an "incredibly dramatic" condition, said Guy Devereux, a curator in the Museums' stone and marble restoration workshop.

The restoration project was paused for about two years during the pandemic when the Museums underwent several long closures due to Italy's lockdowns.