Replica of world-famous 'Pieta' coming to Philly
A casting of Michelangelos 1499 sculpture will be on display during the World Meeting of Families.
A FULL-SIZE casting of a legendary Michelangelo sculpture will be on display at the Pennsylvania Convention Center this month, officials from the World Meeting of Families announced yesterday.
Only 100 Vatican-sanctioned marble castings of "Pieta" exist, according to the World Meeting. The 1499 work depicts Jesus post-crucifixion in the arms of his mother, Mary.
The World Meeting and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are hosting the replica in collaboration with Arte Divine, the Vatican Observatory Foundation's licensed distributor of Michelangelo replicas.
"We hope to elevate the hearts and minds of millions of the faithful who may not have the opportunity to travel to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and personally experience the transcendent beauty of this divinely inspired work that is Michelangelo's 'Pieta,' " said Arte Divine founder David Newren.
Although it has undergone several restorations - especially after a mentally ill man took a hammer to it on Pentecost Sunday in 1972 - "Pieta" is the only sculpture Michelangelo is known to have signed.