A staff member (right) wearing a face mask waits to guide visitors during the exhibition "Raffaello 1520-1483" in Rome, Italy, July 2, 2020. The "Raffaello 1520-1483" exhibition, the largest-ever retrospective of the life and work of Renaissance maestro Raphael, reopened June 2, 2020 to public at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome. Visitors, who had to wear face masks, were required to reserve precise entry times. Each visitor had his or her temperature taken by a digital thermometer upon entry. (CHENG TINGTING / XINHUA)

ROME - The largest-ever exhibition of the works of Renaissance maestro Raphael in the Italian capital attracted over 162,000 visitors, a figure organizers described as "a great success" considering that the event coincided with the coronavirus emergency.

The official attendance figure was announced on Wednesday -- three days after the closure of the exhibition on Aug 30 -- by the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where the exhibition was held in cooperation with the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.

A visitor views a painting during the exhibition "Raffaello 1520-1483" in Rome, Italy, July 2, 2020.  (CHENG TINGTING / XINHUA)

The exhibition went in reverse order, starting with Raphael's death and his final works and moving back to his early years

Titled "Raffaello 1520-1483," this was the largest retrospective ever dedicated to the life and oeuvre of the great painter and architect -- comprising 120 pieces on loan from 52 museums and private collections around the world -- to mark the 500th anniversary of his death.

The exhibition went in reverse order, starting with Raphael's death and his final works and moving back to his early years. This is why the title of the exhibition was also in reverse order.

Among others, the artworks came from London's National Gallery, Paris' Louvre Museum, the Prado Museum in Madrid, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

People visit the exhibition "Raffaello 1520-1483" in Rome, Italy, July 2, 2020. (CHENG TINGTING / XINHUA)

The exhibition was hosted by Rome because here is where the maestro died on April 6, 1520, aged 37.

For the organizers, it was an uphill struggle from day one.

The exhibition was opened as planned on March 5 after some three years of preparation and was due to run until June 2.

However, a mere three days after its grand opening on March 8, it was forced to close again, since the country had entered a national lockdown to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

It reopened on June 2, albeit under special conditions to simultaneously allow visitors to enjoy Raphael's works to and guarantee their safety.

As for every museum reopening during the pandemic, this exhibition operated under strict limitations, starting with limiting the number of visitors allowed at the same time to ensure social distancing.

People visit the exhibition "Raffaello 1520-1483" in Rome, Italy, July 2, 2020. (CHENG TINGTING / XINHUA)

"It has been a great success... and it was sold out since the first day," the Scuderie's management wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

They said foreign visitors were copious, especially from Europe, and the presence of young people proved relevant despite school visits being suspended.

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"The results are extremely positive considering the strong limitation to entries, necessary to implement the safety measures imposed to contain the spread of the virus," they stressed.

Besides wearing face masks and respecting social distancing, visitors during the three-month opening were required to book (online only) a specific day and entry time and have their body temperature screened upon entry.

People visit the exhibition "Raffaello 1520-1483" in Rome, Italy, July 2, 2020. (CHENG TINGTING / XINHUA)

Visitors were organized into groups of six, each entering every five minutes, and then having five minutes to take in each of the 10 halls hosting Raphael's paintings and objects.

In an effort to compensate for these limitations, the Scuderie offered "extraordinary entries" between 11 pm and 9 am.

This decision proved its worth, and the museum remained opened around the clock from the morning of Aug 28 till midnight on Aug 30.

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Mario De Simoni, chief of the Culture Ministry's in-house firm managing the Scuderie, and Uffizi Galleries' Director Eike Schmidt both highlighted the "memorable example of international cooperation and efficiency" showed by the museums and private collectors involved, whose solidarity in fact allowed the exhibition to succeed despite coronavirus.