As part of the work planned for the upcoming Jubilee, the Fabbrica di San Pietro has begun the replacement of the glass diaphragm protecting the marble group of Michelangelo's Pieta with a new pane of glass in order to guarantee adequate parameters of visibility and safety.
The demanding work will begin on Monday 27 May with the protection of the famous marble group and will be completed by the end of September 2024. For the entire duration of the necessary intervention, the Pietà of Saint Peter will not be visible.
The stained glass window, renovated in 1995, was installed in 1973 in front of the Chapel of the Crucifix immediately after the Holy Door and was completed in 1977 at its highest point.
The new diaphragm placed to protect the Pietà will consist of nine "shatterproof" and "bulletproof" panes of the highest quality and maximum transparency. Specially designed by a team of experts, it will be equipped with an innovative high-tech anchoring system, carefully studied in every component for the best protection and enjoyment of the venerated and admired sculpture.
In the museum of the Basilca in the Vatican Sacristy, however, the plaster cast of Michelangelo’s Pietà can be found, made by Francesco Mercatali between 1942 and 1943.
