The Irony

In May of 1972, a Hungarian ex-patriate, Laszlo Toth, broke through flimsy barricades, rushed past slow-to-react Vatican guards and attacked Michelangelo's Pieta with a 12-pound hammer.

He swung and smashed the hammer into Mary's face, breaking off a large piece of the sculpture's nose and gouging a piece out of the left eye. He also broke off the fingers on her outstretched hand before Vatican guards finally subdued him. In all, some 50 pieces lay scattered about the Basilica floor.

Pieta showing repaired nose, chipped eyelid

Over the next year, Vatican art restorers worked with precision equipment to repair the damage done in the attack. The end of the Madonna's nose and the eyelid near the corner of her eye were glued back into place. Synthetic marble was used to repair the remaining damage done to the eye.

How ironic, after the precautions taken to ensure the safety of this beautiful statue on its trip to America for -- and at -- the Fair, that the Vatican would provide such poor security to protect its priceless art treasure back in Rome.

Source: Life Magazine, The Beat of Life, Volume 73 Number 22, December 1, 1972

Interesting to note... Website visitor Todd Kelson adds, "It seems that a fellow named Bob Hupka, a utility stage hand at CBS, was a photographer and liturgical music expert. He was asked by the archdiocese to program the music for the pavilion and lay out the sound system. He had an opportunity to photograph the Pieta from all sorts of unusual angles; above, below, many usually impossible to take, while the statue was being moved in and out. He took dozens of rolls of film, many of which sat in his freezer undeveloped for years. After the attack he offered his hundreds of photos to the Vatican which used many of them as guides for the restoration. Some of Mr. Hupka's photos were published in a small volume in the late 70s. So, it seems, the Pieta as restored today really has a strong tie with the '64 Fair." -March 28, 2001