Description
The first academy for painting in Europe
The academy of art in Florence (Galleria dell' Accademia), which was founded by prince Cosimo I. in 1562 as the first academy for painting in Europe, is nowadays ranked 4th on the list of the most visited places in Italy. Mainly, its excellent reputation and popularity among visitors are based on the fact that the academy owns several world famous artworks by Michelangelo.
In the main hall, one gets to see the “slaves“, the never finished sculptures that were originally meant for the Julius tomb in the church of St. Peter. One can clearly notice that Michelangelo carved out the sculptures from an entire block of stone.
Michelangelo's David
The main attraction of the museum, though, is one of Michelangelo's early artworks: The big statue of David, which he was working on between 1501 and 1504. Originally, it was meant for the cathedral in Florence. It is remarkable how the artist could create this statue transforming the given material, an already damaged block of marble, into a 4 m high and extremely narrow masterpiece.
A further focus of the Galleria dell' Accademia lies on paintings of the 13th and 14th century.
Interesting facts
- The day pass at Galleria dell Accademia Florence is €12 making it one of the 3 cheapest tourist Attractions in the Toskana.
How to get there
The Galleria dell'Accademia is located in the center of Florence on Via Ricasoli. The nearest bus stop is in Piazza di San Marco.