One of the largest marble statues sculpted by one of the most famous artists throughout history is at the center of today’s blog following along with Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women on Coins series. With guidance from author Ron Guth, we will go through the backstory of this important piece of art and the woman at the center of it.
#76 – La Pietà, By Michelangelo
Sculpted by Italian artist Michelangelo between 1498 and 1499 AD, La Pietà is a large marble statue featuring the Virgin Mary with her dead son’s body, Jesus, on her lap after his crucifixion. The statue showcases the incredible agony in her face, hence the meaning of pietà, which means pity or compassion in Italian. Michelangelo was commissioned by French Cardinal Jean de Bilhères to sculpt the statue for his funeral monument in the Chapel of Santa Petronilla in Rome. That chapel was destroyed during the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica, and it is now where the statue sits.
A geologist by the name of Laszlo Toth attacked the statue in 1972 with a hammer, doing major damage to Mary’s left arm and also her nose and one eye. He was not charged but instead was institutionalized at an Italian hospital. They were able to restore her arm, but it was difficult as some of the visitors fled with some of the pieces that were broken. Restorers used some of the marble taken from the back of the statue to fully complete the restoration. The statue today is behind a clear, protective barrier.
La Pietà appears on a 1987 Vatican City aluminum 10-lira coin in addition to appearing on a gold 200-cordoba coin struck in 1975 by Nicaragua. Allegedly part of the proceeds of the coin went to help offset the cost of the hospital. However, no one was able to accurately figure out which hospital the coin refers to or if it was ever built. Several medals and tokens were also struck featuring La Pietà.
Author Ron Guth says that collecting difficulty for the coins is easy. The least expensive is the 1987 Vatican City coin. The gold 200-cordoba is more affordable than one might think, estimating at around $150 or less. It is difficult to find though.