La Pieta, Vatican City

We all know everything about Michelangelo’s sculpture. Seeing her live is an incredible experience. That is why the people in charge of its protection had to connect two large protective glasses elsewhere and not exactly in front of the sculpture. It spoils the atmosphere and the observation.

As a young 22 year old sculptor from Florence, Michelangelo had his first big break in Rome with his carving of the Pieta. The statue depicts a youthful Virgin Mary holding her fallen son, Jesus, after the crucifixion. The work is innovative because it blends Classical themes with Naturalism. Our Lady is depicted as a beautiful youth to evoke Mary’s incorruptible purity. The work was even deemed so beautiful that some in Rome doubted That Michelangelo sculpted it, and they began attributing it to another artist. To remove all doubt for future generations, Michelangelo Etched his signature into the marble. Upon entering St. Peter’s Basilica, the Michelangelo’s Pieta Can be found immediately in the chapel on the right.