What can I say about Michelangelo’s masterpiece? I was 10 when I first saw David, and it was truly a life-changing experience (as was visiting Florence).
That was, however, many moons ago, when tourists crowds were less, and queues did not stretch along the length of a street and around corners. Some 2 million people visit the Accademia yearly, yet it is still possible to see this masterpiece and not be overwhelmed simply getting there.
In the height of tourist season, it can take hours to reach the front of a queue – usually spent wilting under a summer sun. Plus there is a line for tour groups, who get preferential entry. I find pre-booking tickets (for whatever museum I’m visiting) removes this hassle. The tickets cost a little more, and I may still have to queue, but usually this is only for about 10 minutes.
I booked for a time slot just after opening – and already a queue had formed. (When I left, admittedly a few hours later, the line of people stretched down the street, along the piazza, and around the corner. I heard someone bemoaning in a loud voice that this statue had better be worth it. Not quite the frame of mind for viewing one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance.
When possible, I try to visit a museum just as it opens, or towards closing time. It is the best chance I have of having a place relatively empty, and being able to move about the works and actually see them.
The Accademia has a spectacular entrance. First comes a smaller room dedicated to medieval and early renaissance artworks, which then opens onto David. Michelangelo’s unfinished slaves, intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II, line the corridor to where David stands on a pedestal, bathed in a soft light. It feels as if has always been here, and the building was designed around him.
No matter how many people fill the room, there is always space to walk around the statue and admire the sculpture from all angles. I even find it possible to ignore the noise, and those posing in front of David and taking selfies, or yet another exhausted tour group where most seem to be playing on their phones.
To one side is a room filled with plaster casts, many of which were used as a small copy to perfect proportions for larger works, or as a reference for those studying the craft. There is even a room filled with musical instruments.
When I neared the end I simply retraced my steps to see the earlier works again. It is too tempting to rush through these rooms to see David. Such a stunning masterpiece it is easy to miss the works by Botticelli, Fra Bartolommeo, Ghirlandaio, Uccello, Giotto…
I never tire of visiting here. Then, just around the corner, is the Museo di San Marco (one of my favourites) as well as the Bascilica della Santissima Annunziata, which boasts a painting finished by an angel. The streets have the most interesting shops, and with the University so close, there is a plethora of cheap (and fantastic) cafes.
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These are wonderful photos. I will never forget David’s eyes… and how they change as you view them from different vantage points. A miraculous work that gave me chills. My first great European museum was the Prado. When I first saw the Raphael’s, I literally got weak in the knees.
You have to get a skulptur-exercise in Carrara to learn some about the marble.
Florence is, of course, incredible. I was there with my wife in 2011. I love that city.
Neil Scheinin