Madonna della Pietà by Michelangelo

a fun history of the statue

Madonna della Pietà, better known as La Pietà, is a marble statue carved by Michelangelo Buonarroti. This statue depicts the Virgin Mary holding her deceased son Jesus. Pietà means pity and compassion in Italian.

Michelangelo was commissioned by a French Cardinal living in Rome for his funeral and was made in 1498-1499. The French Cardinal wanted the statue to decorate his tomb. Michelangelo rose to fame for this piece when he was 24 years old.

Michelangelo skillfully carved this statue from a single slab of marble, and it sits at an astounding 5′ 9″ x 6′ 5″. This is the only piece Michelangelo has signed, and his signature sits across Mary’s chest. During the restoration of La Pietà, another signature was discovered. In the folds of Mary’s left hand, there was a subtle “M.”

Michelangelo has received some criticism for this piece, as critics claim his depiction of Mary is inaccurate. In this scene she appears too youthful as her son is 33 years old.

La Pietà is not only famous for being an impressive and skillful art piece. On Pentecost Sunday in 1972, a geologist from Hungary lept over the railings at St. Peter’s Basilica and attacked La Pietà with a hammer. He struck the statue 12 times and dealt a significant amount of damage. He knocked off Mary’s left arm, snapped off the tip of her nose, and damaged her cheek and left eye. La Pietà underwent repairs for ten months. Laszlo Toth, the man responsible for attacking the statue, was sent to a mental hospital for two years before being deported. His act was not deemed a criminal offense. There is now a sheet of bulletproof glass from floor to ceiling protecting La Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica.