Restoration of Michelangelo's Pieta statue in Florence reveals flaws in marble

The restoration of Michelangelo's famed Pieta dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence has revealed that the single block of marble from which the masterpiece was sculpted was flawed, offering a likely reason for why it was abandoned before it was completed. Michelangelo's sculpture known as Bandini Pieta' is displayed in the Opera del Duomo museum after being restored for the first time in around 470 years The statue, better known as the Bandini Pieta, represents the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene holding the body of Christ as he is taken down from the cross by a man, Nicodemus, whose face is the self-portrait of the Italian Renaissance artist. Michelangelo's sculpture known as Bandini Pieta' is displayed in the Opera del Duomo museum after being restored for the first time in around 470 years "It's a Pieta that has suffered and is very intimate. The works of restoration confirmed that the 2,700 kg piece of marble had veins and numerous minute cracks, particularly on the base, which may have been the reason for Michelangelo's decision to stop working on the sculpture before finishing it, a statement said.