"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the job of the sculptor to discover it." Michaelangelo Buonarotti Moses - Church of St. Peter in Vincoli The statue of Moses at the basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli was to have been part of a grandiose monument and tomb for Pope Julius II, a patron of Michelangelo Buonarotti. But this same pope pulled Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512), a project that lasted four years. Not surprisingly, the scaled down version of the tomb was not completed until 1515. At eight feet in height, Moses is an all powerful figure, his muscles bulging from his arms and legs and transparent through the folds of his gown. He has a crown of horns symbolizing the “ray of light”, a misinterpretation of the Hebrew word karan which may also refer to horn depending on how it is read. Pieta The Pieta in the Basilica of St. Peter's was once the object of a madman who hammered away at Mary
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener