032 Italy - Rome - Vatican Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican Pietà (1498–1499) by Michelangelo The sculpture, in Carrara marble, was made for the funeral monument of the French Cardinal Jean de Bilhères, but was moved to the basilica, in the 18th century. It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed. After an attack in 1972, the work was painstakingly restored and returned to its place in St. Peter's and is now protected by bulletproof panels.