David Statue, Florence

Most people come to Florence and have a visit to the Accademia on their must-see list for one statue only – the statue that has come to symbolize Florence: Michelangelo’s David.

This massive 13 foot tall warrior stands proudly at the end of a wing that has other works by Michelangelo in it. But you are drawn to the David so go there first, wander all around the statue standing high on his pedestal, and just enjoy this magnificent piece of art. I had seen lots of art in the week I was there – and some of it rather famous and spectacular pieces – so while I was excited about finally seeing the David, it wasn’t a big deal for me. But I was wrong…I was surprised at my first reaction to the piece as I saw it from the other end of the hallway. It was breathtaking…literally. Like everyone else, I didn’t even see the other works that I walked right passed to get to Florence’s most famous piece. And once there, I enjoyed the work of a master sculptor.

David was sculpted out of one big piece of marble that had been sitting around the Cathedral work area. At some point, someone had come along and attempted to make something with it, but gave up. It was Michelangelo that got the commission to create a statue from the marble.
This is the Biblical David, the young boy that slays the giant Goliath with a single pebble. As he stands there, in the moments before the kill, you can see the emotion in his eyes. He’s thinking, strategizing, and formulating his plan. His sling is over his shoulder and the pebble is in his hand. This is unlike the other Davids in Florence – Donatello’s two and Verrocchio’s; these three Davids show the boy after he has killed the giant. Michelangelo chose the moment before – David doesn’t have that cocky victorious air about him, but rather he’s contemplating the upcoming battle. Was Michelangelo’s creation of a facial expression of readiness influenced by Donatello’s St. George which is now in the Bargello?

Michelangelo sculpted this massive statue in 18 months and kept scaffolding around it so no one could see what he was working on. Once it was finished, a committee (that did not include the artist) decided it should be placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall), where it stood for many years. However, time and weather took its toll and it was brought inside in the 1800s with a copy standing outside in the original location.

NOTE: Don’t even try to take a photo of David. The guards around the statue are rather vicious in their enforcement of the no photo rule. I saw several people get verbally abused for even looking at their camera!

Once you have had your fill of David, go back and look at the other statues by Michelangelo that you walked past. St. Matthew was the first of 12 statues commissioned by Pope Julius II for his tomb (not all twelve were finished or even started since he then had Michelangelo stop sculpting in order to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel). But in his St. Matthew you can see the moment of conflict that Matthew had when giving up the money of a tax collector to become a follower of Christ. Is it finished? No, it doesn’t look like it – but perhaps this is the way Michelangelo wanted to leave him. The slaves statues are definitely not finished (there are two nearly finished slaves in the Louvre in Paris), but they demonstrate the genius that was Michelangelo.

Elsewhere in the museum are other Renaissance art pieces from painters such as Uccello, Ghirlandaio, and Botticelli.

Open Tuesday-Sunday 8:15 am – 6:50 pm; Closed Mondays, Dec 25, Jan 1, and May 1.
Admission: €6,50

Moved from its original position in the Piazza della Signoria, Michelangelo's "David" is on display at the Galleria della Accademia. This is one of the best known museums in Florence. Also found in the "Galleria" are Michelangelo's "The four prisoners" and the "Pieta of Palestina". There are also many paintings collected by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold as well as some exhibits of musical instruments.
It is open Tuesday - Sunday from 8.15 to 18.50 and costs about 6.50Euro.

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This is interesting to see.
A copy of Michelangelo's
Statue of David stands in
the original location of the
original David, in front of the
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
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One day in Florence? Well, definitely book museum tickets in advanceas you don't want to wast precious time queuing. Try these sites: `
http://www.b-ticket.com/b%2Dticket/uffizi/
http://www.firenzemusei.it/00_english/servizi/index.html

Or...unless you are seriously into Renaissance art and are likely to burst into tears at the sight of David, then walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset with an expensive bottle of Prosecco and a couple of nice glasses, see the David there (it's not a bad copy of the original) and enjoy one of the best sunsets anywhere on the planet.

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Michelangelo's David is the symbol of Florence. It was sculpted between 1502 and 1504. The original statue is in the apse of the Academia. No photography is allowed in the Academia. A replica of David stands in front of the main entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio.

The Accademia del Disegno was the first academy of drawing in Europe, and was founded in the middle of the sixteenth century. Twenty years later, courtesy of the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, the school gained its own nearby gallery, the Galleria dell'Accademia, current home of David.

David was commissioned in 1501 by the Cathedral Works Committee. At the age of 26, Michelangelo was given a leftover block of marble that came from the mountains of Carrara, one which had previously been worked on by various other artists. The piece was intended as a monumental work, a testimony to the city's republican pride, not one for close confinement, but was moved to the Accademia in 1873 (from outside the Palazzo Vecchio, where a replica now stands ) to protect it from the ravages of time and the weather.

The gallery is also home to another remarkable work by Michelangelo, the unfinished piece entitled 'Slaves', and there are large picture galleries as well as other works of sculpture to be seen; however, there can be no doubting the true crowd-pleaser is David.

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Originally The Accademia was the world's first art school. But it is best known for being the home of Michelangelo's most famous work and the most famous sculpture in the Western World, David. You will not be disappointed, for David is simply amazing. David stands over 13 feet tall and was sculpted between 1501 and 1504. David is a depiction of the young boy who slew Goliath and is a symbolic commemoration of the start of the republican Florence.

David is proportionally perfect and the detail by Michelangelo is spectacular. David's muscled calves, ribbed abs, and the veins running through his hands and arms attest to that. Not to mention the rest of him! Sculpture is my favorite art media and David is mesmerizing. Set on a pedestal - about 6 feet tall - David looms over you. Take your time walking around him taking in all the details. David is a MUST SEE in Florence.

The rest of the museum is also very interesting. There are several other sculptures and very interesting early Renaissance religious art. I particularly liked the plaster sculptures by Pampaloni and Bartolini.

The pictures here were taken when photography of David was allowed. (They've been scanned so the quality is not as good as my original photos.) Although photographing David is no longer allowed, you will see plenty of people hiding behind the pillars taking pictures.

I recommend ordering your tickets online to avoid the line to purchase tickets. Even at that, arrive a little before your scheduled time.

Tickets:
Full Price: € 6,50
Reduced: € 3,25

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 8:15 a.m. - 6:50 p.m., closed Monday

Please note that all visitor information is correct as of this writing.

You can't come to Florence and not see Michelangelo's David, and we were very lucky with the situation of our hotel.
Halfway between the Accademia and Il Duomo. We wandered up to the Accademia expecting to book for later in the afternoon or at least queue but it was pretty quiet.
There are some wonderful sculptures housed here, four unfinished Michelangelo's entitled The Prisoners or Slaves but there is no doubt about the star attraction here.
David is sited at the end of a gallery at the head of an alcove, you can walk all the way round him and marvel at just how incfredible this sculpture is.
One critic when seeing David for the first time in the 16th century said there was no point to looking at anything else after seeing this piece. I have to say it's very difficult to disagree with him.