The Pieta by Michelangelo in Vatican City is probably the most recognisable statue in the world after the Statue of David in Florence. The two biggest suprises about this statue is the fact that Michelangelo sculpted the statue in under a year and he was only 23 years old when he completed it.
Not only is it a technically great statue but there is alot of mystery to it as well. For example why is Marys face so young? Some say its Mary as a 14 year old girl having a vision of watching her son die 33 years later.
On the 21st of May 1972 a man called Laszlo Toth got a hammer to the Statue. He did so much damage to it that Marys nose was never found and during restoration they had to remove a lump of marble from Marys back to redesign the nose. Laszlo Toth was sentenced to 9 years in prison but was eventually moved to mental Institute where he spent just 2 years. He currently lives in Australia aged 72 years this year.
Although Michelangelo was only 23 when he completed the Statue, this was the last piece of art work he ever signed despite the fact he lived to be 89 years old.
If you want to learn more then check out our Vatican Museums Tour. You can also see our reviews on tripadvisor.