Pietà, Marble sculpture in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
The Pietà shows Mary holding the lifeless Christ across her lap, carved from a single block of Carrara marble. Christ lies horizontally with his head fallen back and right arm extended, while Mary's left hand opens in a gesture of acceptance.
French cardinal Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas commissioned the work in 1497 for his funeral chapel. Michelangelo completed it between 1498 and 1499 at age 24, while working in Rome.
Visitors often kneel in front of the glass enclosure to pray quietly or linger in silent contemplation, while other pilgrims take photographs respectfully from a distance. The hushed atmosphere in this side chapel draws people seeking a moment of reflection before continuing through the busier corridors of the basilica.
The sculpture sits behind bulletproof glass in the first chapel to the right of the basilica entrance. Visitors should arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds, as admission to the basilica is free.
An attacker struck the sculpture fifteen times with a geological hammer in 1972, damaging Mary's nose, eyelid, and veil. Restorers collected marble fragments from visitors and the floor to reconstruct missing pieces.
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