Recognized worldwide as a sculptor and painter, Michelangelo Buonarroti, known as Michelangelo (in Spanish), is considered one of the greatest exponents of the Renaissance along with Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael and Donatello.
Many people think that Michelangelo was born in Firenze, but he was really born in Caprese, Italy. When he was just a baby, his family returned to hometown of Firenze.
Among the great works of Michelangelo are his paintings of the Sistine Chapel and the Last Judgment, and the sculpture of the Pieta that is in the Basilica of San Pedro in Rome. Many believe that his masterpiece is the sculpture of David.
Copies and replicas of Michelangelo’s David can be found throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Even in his hometown of Florence, there are several replicas on display.
So is David at home? Yes, with all its perfection and in the glory of its nakedness, David is at home in the “Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze”, founded in 1784. This museum, which was originally created with the intention of being dedicated exclusively to Michelangelo’s works currently houses part of the permanent collection of the works of many other Florentine artists. The museum also exhibits several unfinished works by Michelangelo.
The sculpture of David, originally, was commissioned to be located in a niche of the “Duomo di Firenze”. From 1504 until 1873, the sculpture was on display in “Piazza della Signoria”, in front of the “Palazzo Vecchio”. It was then that he finally found his place, the “Accademia Gallery”. It should be noted that David is placed in such a way that his eyes are fixed on Rome.
The Gallery of the Academy of Florence is located on Via Ricasol # 60, just 5 minutes walk from Piazza del Duomo. David’s Florentine replicas are found in “Piazza della Signoria” and a bronze version is displayed in “Piazzale Michelangelo”, on the other side of the Arno River.
