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Carrara's white marble, pride of the Apuane Alps,
has always been the most famous ornamental stone all over the world.
There's no town in Italy or abroad which hasn't got in its cultural
heritage sculptures or buildings made up with this marble. The
greatest masters have always made their masterpieces shaping the white
"stone". Michelangelo himself came to these areas and chose these
blocks to build up the statues for the Medici's Chapels and the
tomb of Julius II (the second) and well-known Pietà
and David. Thanks to their durability these beautiful works of
our history have com to us. |
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The "Pietà"
This work was commissioned by Cardinal Jean Bilhères
de Lagraulas. The contract for the Pietà
is dated August 27, 1498. The sculpture was to be finished in
one year and the salary was fixed at 450 gold ducats. The group
was first erected in Old St. Peter's, in one of the chapels of the
church of St. Petronilla. In 1749, the group was removed to its
present site on the north side of St. Peter's, now called Cappella
della Pietà.
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