Which Italian sculptor created the 'Pietà' in St. Peter's Basilica?

Which Italian sculptor created the 'Pietà' in St. Peter's Basilica? Michelangelo created the Pietà. The marble sculpture shows the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus after the Crucifixion and is one of the defining masterpieces of Italian Renaissance sculpture.

Michelangelo carved it in Carrara marble between 1498 and 1499, when he was in his early twenties. The commission came from the French cardinal Jean de Billheres for a chapel at Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The sculpture was later moved to its present location in the new basilica in Vatican City.

The Pietà is unusual for showing Mary as youthful and serene, rather than aged and overwhelmed by grief. Michelangelo also made the body of Christ appear smaller than Mary's seated figure, allowing the composition to remain balanced while suggesting the Virgin's protective embrace.

It is the only known work Michelangelo signed. His name appears on the sash crossing Mary's chest, reportedly added after he heard visitors crediting the sculpture to another artist. The work should not be confused with later Pietà sculptures by other artists.