The Accademia Gallery in Florence and the David by Michelangelo

The Accademia Gallery in Florence is one of the top attractions in Florence, hosting one of the greatest and most breathtaking masterpieces ever created: the David by Michelangelo.
Our custom and private tours of the Accademia Gallery in Florence will reveal the stories behind the making of the magnificent David, why Michelangelo made it and what happened to the statue over the centuries. The timeless beauty, perfection and concentration the David transmits made it the symbol of the Renaissance man. Michelangelo was a pioneer in carrying out a work of art representing both civic and philosophical ideals. It is not by chance the Giant was placed in the beautiful Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of Florence. It was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia (originally established as a teaching facility for students of the Academy of Fine Arts, hence the name) during the second half of the 19th century. Since then it still attracts millions of visitors every year.

Guided Tours of the Accademia Gallery to see the David by Michelangelo.

Our guided tours of the Accademia Gallery focus on all the greatest art treasures there displayed: Michelangelo’s David, other one-of-a-kind masterpieces by the great artist, very interesting medieval and Renaissance paintings, plaster casts models as well as musical instruments. The Accademia welcomes you in the so called Hall of the Colossus, hosting the plaster model for a famous marble sculpted by a great artist of the XVI century, Giambologna. The marble statue is in the Piazza della Signoria, not far from where today stands the replica of the David. The Hall is also extremely interesting thanks to its collection of Renaissance paintings from the XV to the early XVI century. The Hall of the Colossus is close to a smaller room dedicated to an adorable collection of musical instruments: harpsichords, violas, cellos, violins and other unique and rare string and wind instruments.

Our guided tours of the Accademia Gallery carry on with the beautiful Tribune hosting some very fascinating unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo and culminating in a central gallery where stands the magnificent David. Once you understand the story behind the so called “Prisoners” (the incomplete but wonderful statues of the hall), Michelangelo’s art theory will be revealed. Finally you’ll be in front of the David. We will admire its perfect anatomy, its intense gaze, and discover all the facts of the statue, its history and philosophical relevance. We will then carry on with the interesting “Gipsoteca” (meaning the hall of plaster casts) where you will see plaster models by some great sculptors of the XIX century like Bartolini and Pampaloni famous for their ability to express timeless grace and elegance. On the way to the exit, we will cross a section of the museum dedicated to Florentine medieval painting. If you expect to see the perfect bodies of the Renaissance paintings or Michelangelo’s statues’, you will be disappointed here. Despite that, we will tell you why the human figure in medieval art may look stiff to us and how the roots of modern painting lie in the artistic and cultural change originating in late XIII and early XIV century Florence. We will trace back the Renaissance to those pioneering medieval painters who paved the way to the rebirth of Western art. It will be a pleasure for us to show you the David by Michelangelo and to accompany you through the many halls of the museum.