Michelangelo decided to take on this commission even though the marble he had to work with was extremely difficult and already damaged. As a matter of fact, marble is a metamorphic rock, which means that it is formed through the process of recrystallisation, where preexistent rocks change their mineral composition and/or texture. Specifically, marble is a metamorphic rock that forms through the so-called process of compact metamorphism, during which only the temperature changes. Marble is a particularly coarse-grained rock (hence the “sugary texture” nomenclature) that comes from limestone. Moreover, The block of Carrara marble provided to Michelangelo had some serious issues: firstly, other artists had already started to work on it, sculpting some features of their statues but never finishing them; secondly, the block itself remained neglected and exposed to the elements in a churchyard for 26 years, causing holes and cracks; thirdly, Carrara marble naturally tends to a process called “cottura”, meaning that the crystals of the rock lose their cohesion. Nevertheless, Michelangelo succeeded in his task and created what is now considered one of the most iconic masterpieces of the whole history of art.