Archbishop Dennis Schnurr unveiled the replica of the Pieta at a special Mass Dec. 8 in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, downtown Cincinnati. You can see the full-sized replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta right now as the statue is available for viewing. This statue is a marble casting made from a mold of the original that resides in Rome. The mold was made during World War II to ensure preservation when bombing rocked Italy during the war. For directions to the Cathedral, click here

About the Pieta at the Vatican: Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo unveiled what would come to be regarded as one of the world’s great masterpieces of inspired art and perhaps the most beautiful sculpture ever created. Now, under an exclusive license from the Vatican Observatory Foundation, this masterpiece has been recreated in cast marble from a authorized mold derived from the original. This posthumous Pietà is a 1:1 casting that is faithful in every detail to Michelangelo’s original.

Of all his sculptures the Pietà was the only one Michelangelo ever signed. In the Pietà all of Michelangelo’s attention was focused on evoking the ideal of spiritual beauty so important in the time of the Italian Renaissance. It is a testament to his abiding love of God, the source of his inspiration, that he was able to capture the compassion and serenity in Mary’s face with so much grace that, half a millennium later, the vision of it continues to inspire us. One of the greatest sculptures ever created, it stands as an icon for the Christian faith, bringing inspiration to the millions who visit St. Peter’s Basilica every year