meemie's Reviews

Will the real David please stand up?

Prepare for a very long wait outside of this rather small and simple museum. Not grand, or historic, this gallery holds arguably the most famous Renaissance sculpture, Michaelangelo's David. The real one, don't be fooled by the multiple David copies floating around Florence--this here is the real deal. My traveling buddy and I struck up conversations with fellow American travelers while waiting on line, and we didn't neglect to tag up the wall like most tourists.

The inside of the gallery though is modest with the illusion of architectural embellishments. That's right, the intricate columns you see on the wall, are actually painted in. You stroll down the main gallery strewn with hidden gems also by Michaelangelo, such as the unfinished sculpture of St. Matthew emerging from the block of marble like he's floating in water.

And then you see it, the David. Seeing him up close and personal is incredible. His head, his hands, and his feet are huge, as expected. The marble veins on his muscles, the expression on his face which changes as you walk 360 degrees around him--I'm telling you ladies and gents this is a not a site you can miss on your trip to Florence!

I went on a Contiki trip this past summer, taking me on a whirlwind two-week tour of Europe. [www.contiki.com] I highly recommend it to any young person who's going to Europe for the first time.

Reviewed on: March 02, 2007