La Pieta, Vatican City

Michelangelo's first sculpture and the only one he signed, located inside Saint Peter's Basilica. The sculpture is behind glass thanks to the efforts of a whacko with a hammer back in 1972. There are multiple guides that point out interesting details of the sculpture and I would suggest that you read those and perhaps have notes ready so that you can fully appreciate the momentous work of art. You can't miss it and it is well worth a visit when you're here at the Basilica.

Today I realized one of my dreams which was seeing "la pieta" in real life though it was a little bit disappointing to see that the sculpture was protected by glass. Therefore, you can't see and appreciate the masterpiece within a close distance. It is wonderful to see Michelangelo's genius with this sculpture. He made mother Mary bigger than Jesus so that she can hold him like a little child. A perfect depiction of noble grief of a mother over the death of her son.