Wandering Browns

June 5,2019, Docked in Livorno, Italy, Viewed David 145/183

We had originally booked an excursion to see 'David', through Oceania, but we discovered that the program had been changed without an update being issued. Basically trip was reduced to a visit to the Galleria and free time, so it was not worth the $240 per ticket. Instead, we used the basic Oceania bus excursion to get to Florence, then purchased 'no lineup' tickets for 57 euros.

White slopes could be seen on the mountains North of Florence, which is the white Carrara marble used by sculptures in Italy for centuries. This area did have a very late spring with snow on the surrounding mountains until mid-May.

Photos and comments below cover David's statue in the Galleria de Accademia and Botticelli paintings in the Galleria. Piazza de Duomo, the first major dome in the world that inspired many other building designs, including St. Peter's Basilica. Pont Vecchio built in 1345. Basilica de Santa Croce, burial place of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and many others.

Article pasted from a article on David:

Within Florence one can find at least 5 statues of David: 3 originals and 2 copies. The oldest statue is the bronze David by Donatello, completed around 1440; next is the David of Verrocchio (the master of Leonardo da Vinci) from 1475; and finally the youngest David by Michelangelo from 1500. The original David is housed in the Accademia Museum on via Ricasoli, while two copies are displayed elsewhere - one in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, and the other in Piazzo Michelangelo.
However, standing in front of the original David is an emotional experience incomparably greater than seeing the two copies.
Unlike the previous interpretations of the mythic biblical figure of David by Dante and Verrocchio, where David is presented as a weak youth with his strength deriving only from God, Michelangelo's David instead becomes a strong and self-sufficient young man, preparing to go into battle fully concentrated on the force of reason.

David's sculpture (Michelangelo's David) was damaged by a hammer-wielding idiot in 1991, when several toes were smashed. Repair was reasonable.

Machiavelli is immortalized in the Basilica de Santa Croce. A diplomat, he is reputed to be the Father of Modern Political Science.

Our lunch (Understatement) of beer and pizza was excellent.

Scenery on the way to see Michelangelo's master piece, David.

Centuries old castle

Medieval castle

Bronze replica of David, located at a view point overlooking Florence

One of many interesting street views

Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria de Fiore) This was the first major dome in Italy which many were patterned after, including St. Peter's Basilica

Anther Duomo view. Lineups were hours long, so we moved on.

Accademia Galleria

Contains many sculptures including David, painting by Botticelli and much more.

David - Dramatic sculpture

These are replicas of sculptured on display in the Galleria, which were looted and moved to dozens of Europian countries and the Catholic church. How do they have these replicas? Well, the owners allow the Italians to plaster cast the originals and reproduce them.

Sculpture depicting the abduction of girls from surrounding villages by Roman men for future wives.

Statue in progress that Michelangelo never completed. Several others like this were ondisplay

Replica of David displayed in the Piazza Della Signora, placed there around 1900, after the original David was move into the Galleria. Adjacent Palazzo Vecchia was built arounf 1300, still serves as the seat of city hall.