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Expert Review of Galleria dell'Accademia (Academy Gallery)

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Family Review of Galleria dell'Accademia (Academy Gallery)

Away Travel Expert: Christine Loomis

Family Expert Favorite
FamilyExpert Rating Recommended for:
Children aged 6 - 12 and 13 - 17

FamilyExpert Tips & Helpful Hints

• You can see a copy of Michelangelo's famous David outside, but to see the real thing you have to pay and go into this gallery--and you should. You can also see Michelangelo's unfinished Slaves and other works, but David is the star here. Get your tickets in advance and avoid two- to three-hour lines.
• Michelangelo was just 26 in 1501 when he was given a hunk of used, leftover marble and commissioned to sculpt David of David and Goliath. It's hard to believe that a Michelangelo used to stand out on the streets, like the statues we see in parks across America, but this one did just that until 1873.
• David's head and upper body are famously out of proportion with the rest of him. Was this a gargantuan mistake by Michelangelo or was it on purpose? Does it have something to do with the distance from which the statue was viewed in its original location? Ask your kids what they think--even if they're not totally mature about David's lack of clothing or the rampant nudity in most of the pieces.