Editing Pietà (Michelangelo) (section)

==After completion==
[[File:Vatikan, Petersdom, der Altar der unbefleckten Empfängnis.JPG|thumb|The grand pillars of the Chapel of the Holy Choir, where the two cherubic angels were relocated from the ''Pietà'' image in 1749. The Marian image was also pontifically crowned by [[Pius IX]] (1854) and [[Pius X]] (1904), respectively.]]
Following completion, the ''Pietà''{{'}}s first home was the Chapel of [[Saint Petronilla]], a circular Roman [[mausoleum]] attached to the south [[transept]] of Saint Peter's, with several sub-chapels radiating from the central space. The Cardinal chose one of these as his funerary chapel. While there is now no certainty, it is estimated that each of these niches measured about 4.5 metres wide by 2 metres deep. The [[chapel]] was later demolished by [[Donato Bramante]] during his rebuilding of the basilica.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://michelangelo.ace.fordham.edu/exhibits/show/vatican-pieta/vatican-pieta-history|title=The History · The Vatican Pietà · Fordham Art History|website=michelangelo.ace.fordham.edu|access-date=2019-09-03}}</ref>

According to [[Giorgio Vasari]], shortly after the installation of his ''Pietà'', Michelangelo overheard someone remark (or asked visitors about the sculptor) that it was the work of another sculptor, [[Cristoforo Solari]], whereupon Michelangelo signed the sculpture.<ref>William E. Wallace, 1995 ''Life and Early Works (Michelangelo: Selected Scholarship in English)'' {{ISBN|0-8153-1823-5}} p. 233</ref> Michelangelo carved the words on the sash running across Mary's chest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Majanlahti |first=Anthony |date=2023-03-30 |title=Michelangelo's Signature and the Myth of Genius |url=https://hyperallergic.com/781165/michelangelos-signature-and-the-myth-of-genius/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Hyperallergic |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{lang|la|'''MICHÆLANGELVS BONAROTVS FLORENTINVS FACIEBAT'''}}<br> (English: "Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Florentine made this")

The signature echoes one used by the ancient Greek artists [[Apelles]] and [[Polykleitos]]. It was the only work he ever signed. Vasari also reports the anecdote that Michelangelo later regretted his outburst of pride and swore never to sign another work of his hands.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/02_february/05/divine_michelangelo_overview.shtml|title=The Divine Michelangelo – overview of Michelangelo's major artworks|website=BBC|access-date=2008-12-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Aileen June Wang |title=Michelangelo's Signature |journal=The Sixteenth Century Journal |volume=35 |issue = 2|pages=447–473 |year= 2004 |jstor = 20476944|doi=10.2307/20476944 |s2cid=188333712 }}</ref>

Fifty years later, Vasari declared the following regarding the Pietà:

{{Blockquote|"Never think, a rare sculptor or craftsman, to be able to add design or grace, nor with difficulty never being able to finesse, cleanliness and to pierce the marble as much with art, as Michelangelo did there, because you can see in it all the value and power of art." }}