Things to see
Originally commissioned by the art guild of the cathedral in question, the guild quickly realized that the sculpture’s size was too great to actually raise it to the roof. Instead, it was placed in the Piazza della Signoria, directly in front of Palazzo Vecchio, as a political symbol. In 1873, the original statue had to be moved from the Piazza to its current home in the Accademia Gallery in order to preserve it from further damage (both human and natural); the replica that took its place in front of the Palazzo Vecchio was not erected until 1910.
Today, the sculpture of David is one of the most famous silhouettes in the world, with replicas of all sizes and materials populating all sorts of locales, from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to casinos, hotels, resorts and sometimes even people’s homes.
