Proposed Move of Michelangelo's David

Saturday, 19 January 2008 00:49

FLORENCE, ITALY - Paolo Cocchi, Culture Councillor of Tuscany is proposing that Michelangelo's David be moved be moved to a new culture center further outside of the city. He writes that the city "has already reached the point at which tourism becomes unsustainable…to enlarge the area visited by tourists and reduce congestion in the centre would bring benefits for everyone."

Paolo Cocchi said there are queues of tourists that go to the gallery just to see this work of art. This in turn has brought criticism.

Franca Falletti, director of the Galleria dell'Accademia, said, "There are cultural and conservation reasons that render this idea baseless and inopportune. The proposal is one that absolutely cannot be shared. For historical and scientific reasons we can affirm that David's home is in the centre of Florence."
 
In 1873, the David  formerly standing in front of Palazzo Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria, was moved to the Gallery. Exposure to atmospheric pollutants had caused considerable damage to Michelangelo's masterpiece, but this was not the only motive for its transfer to the Academy.

In fact, preparations were being made for a great exhibition on Michelangelo to be held in 1875 on the occasion of the fourth centenary of his birth, after which the intention was to establish a museum on Michelangelo containing original works, casts, and drawings. From then on the Accademia began to turn into a Michelangelo Museum.