David di Michelangelo
The story of Michelangelo's David begins with a block of stone brought to Florence by boat. First along the coast and then across Arno river from the Fantiscritti quarry in Carrara.
In the mid-fifteenth century, the managers of the Opera del Duomo and the consuls of the Wool Guild of Florence promoted an ambitious project. The project consisted of sculpting twelve figures to decorate the exterior of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, now known as the Duomo of Florence.
In 1460 Agostino di Duccio and Antonio Rossellino tried to sculpt without success the "giant", so called for its size, in fact it was a block of marble of almost 5.50 meters. Unfortunately, the failure of the project made David forget, leaving it in oblivion in some warehouse.
David di Michelangelo - the turning point
In the early 1500s, the project came back into vogue. For its realization, the best artists of the moment were thought of, Andrea Sansovino, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti.
In 1501, the Duomo of Florence officially commissioned the project to Michelangelo causing such an interest that this genius even had to isolate himself in order to make the sculpture. The David, sculpted by Michelangelo from September 1501 until May 1504, is rightly considered the pinnacle of the artist's sculptural work.
David became the icon of the Renaissance with enormous dimensions and proportions since it measures more than 5 meters in height and exceeds 5 tons in weight. The biblical hero is portrayed when he prepares to face Goliath.
Originally located in Piazza della Signoria just in front of Palazzo Vecchio, it was the symbol of the Florentine Republic, alert and victorious against its enemies.
The architect Emilio De Fabris, given the precarious conditions of conservation, took care of the "hospitalization" in 1872. The architect built a new Tribuna, scenically placed at the end of the Gallery of Ancient Paintings, with its own lighting, guaranteed at the top from a skylight.
The statue was harnessed in a wooden chariot complex in the following August. The model is visible in the museum of Casa Buonarroti.
The David is currently located in the Accademia Gallery just a 15-minute walk from Opera Boutique B&B. It is undoubtedly a destination that every tourist should not miss while visiting this wonderful city.
The transfer to the Accademia Gallery
The work was transferred on rails through the streets of the center to the Academy between imposing security measures and accompanied by popular outcry. In the museum, however, it remained closed in its box for nine years while waiting for the work to be completed.
In 1875, with the celebrations of the fourth centenary of Michelangelo's birth, an exhibition was created with the plaster reproductions of his sculptural masterpieces. For the occasion, The David was provisionally unpacked inside the grandstand, set up with curtains that covered the area above the entablature, still under construction.
The statue finally revealed itself to the public on July 22, 1882 with the inauguration of the museum. A copy, made by the sculptor Luigi Arrighetti, winner of a special competition, is located in Piazza della Signoria. Another copy, but in bronze, is located in Piazzale Michelangelo, almost as a defense of the city that opens at its feet in all its splendor.
