Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. On May 21, 1972, Michelangelo's Pietà was attacked and badly damaged in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The assailant, a 33-year-old geologist named Laszlo Toth, entered the basilica with a hammer and began striking the sculpture. Toth managed to sever the Virgin Mary's arm and caused extensive damage to her face and neck before he was subdued by onlookers. The Pietà, completed by Michelangelo in 1499, is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture. The attack on the sculpture shocked the art world and prompted a massive restoration effort. After three years of painstaking work, the Pietà was restored to its original condition and returned to public display in the basilica.
