Michelangelo's David—The Accademia

Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia has long lines for one reason—Michelangelo's David—but is packed with other artistic delights, from Michelangelo's amazing unfinished Slaves to works by Giambologna, Andrea del Sarto, and Botticelli

*** Galleria dell'Accademia (Accademia Galleries)
Via Ricasoli 60
tel. +39-055-238-8612
www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/accademia
Open Tues–Sun 8:15am–6:50pm
Closed Mon

Book tickets: tel. +39-055-294-883
www.firenzemusei.it
Book tour: Viator.com

Viator.com tours
• Skip the Line: Accademia Gallery Tickets
• Skip the Line: Accademia Gallery Tour
• Skip the Line: Accademia and Uffizi Tour
• Skip The Line: Best of Florence Walking Tour, incl Accademia Gallery and Duomo
• Skip the Line: Florence Renaissance Walking Tour with Accademia Gallery
• Florence Half-Day or Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
• Private Tour: Florence Sightseeing Tour

Sights near the Accademia
** San Marco [museum]
SS. Annunziata [church]
*** Duomo group [church & museum]
*** San Lorenzo leather market [market]

Where to eat the Accademia
La Mescita [light meal]
* Da Mario [meal]
* Trattoria Za-Za [meal]
Da Nerbone [snack/light meal]
*** Carabé [gelato]

Hotels the Accademia
Reid Recommends Loggiato dei Serviti [moderate]
First of Florence [moderate]
Residence Hilda [premier]
Hotel Orto de' Medici [cheap/moderate]
Arti & Hotel [cheap/moderate]
Hotel Collodi [cheap]
Hotel Botticelli [cheap]
» More hotels near the Accademia

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Intrepid Travel 2011 Italy trips
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• Highlights of ItalyPartner (8 days)
• Tuscan ExpressPartner (7 days)

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G Adventures 2011 Italy trips
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• Italy Culture and History Explored (9 days)
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• Venice to Rome AdventurePartner (8 days)
• Italy Family AdventurePartner (10 days)

iExplore
iExplore Italy trips 2011
• Italy Experience (9 days)
• Italy in Style (9 days)
• Magical Tuscany & Portofino Peninsula (10 days)
• Tuscan Delights (8 days)
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Michelangelo's David.
Michelangelo's David (1501–04).Many visitors come to Florence and don't care about the Uffizi or the Duomo. They just have one question on their lips "Which way to the David?"

The Accademia Galleries contain many paintings (by Perugino, Botticelli, Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo, etc.), and Giambologna's plaster study for the Rape of the Sabines, but most people come here for one thing only.

In 1501 Michelangelo took an enormous piece of marble that a previous sculptor had chipped at before declaring it unworkable, and by 1504 turned it into a Goliath-sized David, a masterpiece of the male nude.

The sculpture is so realistic, so classically lifelike—shifting its weight onto one leg and holding its sling nonchalantly on its shoulder—that it completely changed the way in which people thought about sculpting the human body. David was for a long time in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (a replica stands there now), and stuck inside like this room it looks a little over-large, giving it an oafish air.

The hall leading to the David is lined with Michelangelo's nonfiniti (unfinished) Slaves, or Prisoners—to many people more interesting than the David itself.

These Slaves are in varying degrees of being worked on, and give a critical insight into how Michelangelo approached his craft—chipping away first at the abdomen and fully realizing that part before moving on to rough out limbs and faces. Their title, Slaves, is rather appropriate as these muscular, primordial figures seem to be struggling to emerge from their stony prisons.

The Palestrina Pietà here was long attributed to Michelangelo but most scholars now believe it is the work of his students. The statue of St. Matthew (begun in 1504) is, however, by the master.

A number of 15th- and 16th-century Florentine artists are here; search out the Madonna del Mare (Madonna of the Sea) attributed to Botticelli or his student Filippino Lippi.

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This material was last updated January 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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