Michelangelo's Masterpiece, "David," Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Leonardo da Vinci's painting, "Mona Lisa" in Paris is perhaps the most widely known painting in the world; Michelangelo's statue of "David" is perhaps the most widely known sculpture in the world. Florence is home to the 17-foot tall marble statue of David, created in the early 1500's by the 26-year old artist over a three-year period, carved from a single marble block. It stood outside in the Palazzo Vecchio for 350 years until the late 1800's before being moved indoors to a custom designed space at the Galleria dell'Accademia; a reproduction was made at that time and can still be seen standing in the Palazzo Vecchio (and a picture later on in this blog).

It is a powerful piece of art. To simply stand and behold it is wondrous. As people approached, their heads angled upward, a reverential silence fell over the room. It's so real looking that it isn't real - the shadows, the light, the size, musculature, setting - to have created this from a single block of marble is beyond belief, beyond possibility. I understand why it enjoys its fame - it is beyond human that a man with a hammer and chisel could carve this 500 years ago.  I was most pleased that the gallery employees did not force people out.  There was no hurry - I was able to linger - so I sat and stared and enjoyed without pressure to move on.

Of course, selfies are always popular. 

Even the full scale reproduction that was placed in the Palazzo Vecchio, notwithstanding the pigeons and gulls, still looks grand.

Florence is the capital city of Tuscany, it was the birthplace of the Renaissance, and some have even called it the cultural capital of Europe. Whichever adjectives you attach, it is a big, busy, vibrant city teeming with life, art, culture, food, fashion, noise, history, and "David" 

So, was it worth it to see the "real" David? A resounding and unequivocal yes! I didn't last time I visited here and regretted that choice. Generally, a visitor must choose between standing in line for an hour or so for the 12-Euro access, or, paying extra for a "Firenze Card" for the 72 Euro access and zip right on in without delay. (The Firenze Card is also good at many museums so it's a smart buy if you go to many places over a three day period). 

(Note: all images in this post with my smartphone).

Florence, Tuscany, Italy

The city of Florence, serving multiple roles as the capital of Tuscany, a center of commerce, and a popular tourist destination, is crowded with sightseers on the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge which has spanned the Arno River since Roman times (although replaced in 1345 after a flood).

A view of the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio, and other downriver bridges from inside the Uffizi Gallery.

The hawkers at the stalls near the Central Market attempt to entice passersby to purchase all manner of leather goods and other products.

The frenzied crowds stream in and out of the Santa Maria Novella downtown train station either boarding or exiting trains. We took the train from Lucca - about an hour and twenty minutes each way, very civilized and comfortable, the station is right downtown in the thick of things - much less stressful than trying to drive and park a car in the big, busy city of Florence.

This high speed train to or from Rome sits awaiting its next trip.

The Central Market houses countless vendors selling all manner of edibles.

And in the Piazza outside the Duomo (cathedral), the young children engage in that time-honored tradition of chasing the pigeons.....

....but never catching one.

These newlyweds are having pictures taken beside the Duomo.

This classical guitarist plays for tips and fills the plaza with his wonderful and gently amplified music. 

On a rooftop cafe at the Uffizi Gallery, clouds race by on this beautiful spring day.

Close-up detail.

In a city full of museums, art is everywhere. This exhibit is in the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, or in English "Gallery of the Academy of Florence." This is also the gallery where Michelangelo's original sculpture of David is on display. I will have a separate post about that soon. (Assuming I can retrieve the images from my dead and crashed computer).

The central dome in the Duomo stands 376 feet high!

In the Piazza della Signoria, this statue of Neptune stands in the sunshine.

This sculpture in the Uffizi Gallery stopped me in my tracks at the ability of this artist to chisel the folds of fabric so realistically in marble! 

Florence is a city teeming with people, life, history, and culture. A great place to visit on a perfect spring day!

(Note: all images in this post were made with my smartphone - I broke my camera).

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

A young woman poses for a portrait with the southeast side of the popular Ponte Vecchio in the background.  The Ponte Vecchio, in English, "Old Bridge," spans the Arno River in downtown Florence. A bridge has stood here for more than a thousand years, originally housing butchers (easy to throw the offal into the water), today housing jewelry, art, and souvenir vendors. 

This panorama view is from the north side of the river, the Ponte Vecchio is at left. (Panorama - click on it to view in full width).

Lots of tourists meandering around, taking photos, enjoying the view.

Looking west, the next bridge over the Arno River is the Ponte Santa Trinita.  The dome of San Frediano in Cestello is visible on the horizon.   This bridge is the oldest elliptical arch span bridge in the world. It was built by architect Bartolomeo Ammannati in the 1500's - you may recall from yesterday's blog post that he also sculpted the "Fountain of Neptune" which stands in the Piazza della Signoria with the "David" reproduction.

View to the northwest from  the Ponte Vecchio.

Tourists enjoy capturing a moment.

This view is from the south side of the river, the Ponte Vecchio is at right. (Panorama - click on it to view in full width).

David, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

I have always wanted to see Michelangelo's marble sculpture masterpiece, "David."  The image above, however, is not it. Instead, it is a reproduction of the original sculpture of David.  I settled for the reproduction on this trip. It stands in the Piazza della Signoria where the original once stood.  The original was moved to the Galleria dell' Accademia a few blocks away in 1873 to protect the marble. 

The original 17-feet tall Cararra marble statue created by the 29-year-old Michelangelo was unveiled in 1504 and is today regarded as one of the most widely recognized sculptures in the world - perhaps THE most recognized.

Even the reproduction is dramatic to view.

The detail is incredibly lifelike.  I look forward to my next visit to Florence when I hope to view the original on display at Galleria dell' Accademia.  There are various options to get in to see it including waiting in line, or buying advance tickets online for a particular time window, but a third option, buying "the Firenze Card," which enables the holder to avoid lines and long waits may be the best option.  It's pricey at 50 Euros ($70 USD), is good for three consecutive days of single visits, and can be used for access to approximately 60 museums around the city. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't been such a cheapskate. 

A view of the Piazza della Signoria.  The David reproduction stands at the right.

David is not alone in the Piazza.  Bartolomeo Ammannati sculpted the "Fountain of Neptune" (above) in the mid-1500's.

This rather startling bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini in 1545 is "Perseus with the head of Medusa."

In the foreground is Hercules, David in the mid distance, Neptune beyond that, and the dome of the Cathedral visible between the buildings.

Florence has dozens of museums with priceless art on display.  The city has close to 400,000 residents and more than a million and a half when counting the metro area.  And millions of tourists annually. It is the largest city and capital of Tuscany. Florence is called the birthplace of the Renaissance.

It's an interesting juxtaposition of realities - while the Pilgrims in the New World were struggling to barely survive in my home of Plymouth, Massachusetts in the early 1600's, Florence was flourishing as the center of culture, art, and commerce in Europe. David had been completed more than a hundred years earlier.

Il Duomo (The Cathedral), Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Going to Florence from Lucca was easy and comfortable with a 1 hr 20 minute train ride. The Florence train station is very close to all the usual tourist sights and was more relaxing than trying to drive a car there. Trains were on time, comfortable, and ran about once an hour. Taking a train also offers flexibility if some in a group want to return earlier or later than others.

Arriving midday, it seemed a good idea to eat before braving the crowds.  Yes, it was crowded, even in this "off-season." As has been typical on this entire Italy trip, good food was always available even in close proximity to tourist destinations.  Italians seem to have a passion for food and its preparation that translates into good food everywhere. Many of the menus have English translations to help those with a limited grasp of the Italian language.  And yes, the waiter is delivering a tiny cup to a customer - espresso! - and that cup is only half filled - a concentrated blast of power!

Fed and happy, it was time to wander.  Even in the "off season" there were long waits for the most revered attractions:  Michelangelo's sculpture of David, the Uffizzi Museum, climbing the steps to the top of the Cathedral's dome, and perhaps others.  Il Duomo, the Cathedral, was begun in the late 1200's and completed in the 1400's. It is the main church of Florence and one of the largest in Italy. I assure you these images do not do justice to the feeling of being there.

The scale is impossibly large and grand when viewed in the context of the four-story regular city buildings that are adjacent to it.

All those people lined up along the side of the building are waiting to climb the stairs to the top of the dome. It is not a short wait.

On the other side of the building complex, the umbrella stands are local artisans selling watercolors, sketches, and oil paintings mostly of the church itself but also other popular Florence/Italy/Tuscany scenes as well.

The distortion in this and the other images is caused by trying to get the entire building into the impossibly narrow camera view in a confined space. (And I'm not very good at correcting it in post-processing).

I kept running into these women as I wandered around town. They didn't look very calm to me either.

I opted for the short and free line to visit the inside of the cathedral. The majesty speaks for itself.

A closer view.

Ceiling detail.

The following three images are random exterior images. Everywhere I looked, the intricacy and painstaking construction was fascinating to see.

Seeing the range, size, and number of beautiful churches in the very small slice of Italy I have visited is strong testimony of the power and commitment of the Catholic faithful over the centuries. Each is a work of art by itself.

As I was leaving I caught ear of this classical guitar player sitting on the sidewalk playing to the passing crowds. I stopped to listen and drop a Euro in his hat. Anywhere in the world I see and hear extraordinarily talented musicians playing on the street, it always brings to mind the classic Joni Mitchell tune from the late 60's/ early 70's ...."he played real good for free."