The very word “Pietà” means “to feel sorry for.” So, how was Michelangelo to make people feel sorry for Mary and Jesus? The prototypes he was offered from Germany and France show the Body of Christ in rigor mortis with open wounds and the crown of thorns still visible. But the 23-year-old sculptor chose to do something completely different. And in doing so, he changed the history of art.

"From Tourist to Pilgrim" is a podcast by Liz Lev, with original music by Mara Miceli and Umberto D'Auria, editing and sound design by Mara Miceli, and directed by Johana Bronkova.