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Galleria dell’Accademia
Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy (cc)
Photo: Rico Heil
Galleria dell’Accademia
[ Related page: Top 10 Art Museums and Galleries of Florence ]
Galleria dell’Accademia, located to the south of Piazza San Marco along Via Ricasoli, is the second- most-visited museum in Florence. The museum itself is housed in Florence’s Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, established in the 16th century, and the collection on display at the Galleria, just off Piazza San Marco, was acquired from the 18th century on, originally as a means of tutoring its students.
Galleria dell’Accademia is of course home to an impressive range of paintings, including works of Benozzo Gozzoli, Uccello, Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Fra Bartolomeo, Perugino and others. However, it is best-known for its seven marble sculptures by Michelangelo – David, brought here in 1873, just after the Unification of Italy to save it from further storm damage; the four incomplete Prigioni intended for the Vatican mausoleum of Pope Guilio II; St Mathew, designed but not finished for the Duomo façade; and Pietà di Palestrina, one of his last sculptures. In line with today’s high-tech expectations, the museum has added a clever and informative touch-table display depicting not just how the sculptures were carved but also how the ravages of time, the weather and misguided attempts at cleaning and maintaining them have all taken their toll.
From the Galleria dell’Accademia, you can retrace your steps to Piazza San Marco and turn right along Via Cesare Battisti to arrive on Piazza SS. Annunziata which has Renaissance arcades, animated by a lively student population year-round, but abuzz particularly during the summer festival Firenze Estate, when the Piazza becomes the city’s main site for live jazz.
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