Vatican City, Italy (Enclave of Rome): St. Peter's Basilica: Pieta by Michaelangelo
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Multiple photos are associated with this record. Please click the links to view all of the items in the series. The images are of the Pieta by Michelangelo Buonarroti, which is located in a chapel to the right of the main entrance of St. Peter's Basilica. The church was originally designed by architect Bramante as a central plan at the behest of Julius II to be the largest, most magnificent church in Christendom when it was rebuilt in the early 16th century. Raphael and Michelangelo and later architects such as Maderno and Bernini designed and decorated the elongated nave to create a basilica which would hold large numbers of people and focus attention on the altar; therefore, it incorporates both Italian High Renaissance and Baroque sensibilities. It was begun in 1506 and completed in 1626. According to the Catholic Church, the very holy basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter. Michelangelo sculpted the life size masterpiece from a single block of white Carrara marble in 1498-1500 to depict Mary tenderly holding her crucified son. The statue is one of the most famous works of art in the world. It is displayed behind bulletproof acrylic glass today following restoration from an act of vandalism on May 21, 1972.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0