Accademia Gallery, Art museum in Florence, Italy
The Accademia Gallery is an art museum in Florence displaying Renaissance paintings and sculptures, including works from the 13th and 14th centuries and Gothic altarpieces. The rooms lead through several centuries of Florentine art, from gilded panels to later oil paintings and unfinished marble works.
Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo established the gallery in 1784 as a study space for art students to observe and copy classical masterworks. The collection expanded in the 19th century through the acquisition of religious artworks from dissolved monasteries.
David takes his name from the biblical shepherd boy who defeated the giant Goliath and stands at the end of a long hall between later sculptures by Michelangelo. Visitors gather in front of the figure and study his posture, the tension in his hands and the concentrated expression before the fight.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday, and tickets can be reserved online to shorten waiting times at the entrance. The halls are enclosed and air-conditioned, so bringing a light jacket is advisable.
The museum houses a section for historical musical instruments with rare pieces such as a Stradivari violin from 1716 and the first hammer piano in the world. Bartolomeo Cristofori built this instrument in Florence around 1700, inventing the principle of the modern piano.
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