structural:scholar_edition, stylistic:tone
After completion

Following completion, the Pietà ' s first home was the Chapel of Saint Petronilla, a circular Roman mausoleum attached to the south transept of Saint Peter's, with several sub-chapels radiating from the central space. The Cardinal chose one of these as his funerary chapel. While there is now no certainty, it is estimated that each of these niches measured about 4.5 metres wide by 2 metres deep. The chapel was later demolished by Donato Bramante during his rebuilding of the basilica.

According to Giorgio Vasari, shortly after the installation of his Pietà, Michelangelo overheard someone remark (or asked visitors about the sculptor) that it was the work of another sculptor, Cristoforo Solari, whereupon Michelangelo signed the sculpture. Michelangelo carved the words on the sash running across Mary's chest.

MICHÆLANGELVS BONAROTVS FLORENTINVS FACIEBAT (English: "Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Florentine made this")

The signature echoes one used by the ancient Greek artists Apelles and Polykleitos. It was the only work he ever signed. Vasari also reports the anecdote that Michelangelo later regretted his outburst of pride and swore never to sign another work of his hands.

Fifty years later, Vasari declared the following regarding the Pietà:

"Never think, a rare sculptor or craftsman, to be able to add design or grace, nor with difficulty never being able to finesse, cleanliness and to pierce the marble as much with art, as Michelangelo did there, because you can see in it all the value and power of art."

In 1964, the Pietà was lent by the Vatican to the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair to be installed in the Vatican pavilion. The former Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Francis Spellman formally requested the statue from Pope John XXIII, appointed Edward M. Kinney, Director of Purchasing and Shipping of Catholic Relief Services – USCC, to head up the Vatican Transport Teams. The statue was shipped in a wooden crate 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) thick with an 8-inch (20 cm) base, secured to the deck of the liner Cristoforo Colombo; in case of an accident, the crate contained cushioning so thick that it would float in water, and had an emergency locator beacon as well as a marker buoy attached.

At the fair, people stood in line for hours to catch a glimpse from a conveyor belt moving past the sculpture. It was returned to the Vatican afterwards.