Michelangelo’s David is currently in the Accademia Gallery of Florence (Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze) in Florence and is definitely a goal you can not miss on your visit to this wonderful city. The Accademia Gallery is very close to the monumental Duomo (Piazza del Duomo).

The Uffizi | Uffizi Galleries. The Gallery entirely occupies the first and second floors of the large building constructed between 1560 and 1580 and designed by Giorgio Vasari. It is famous worldwide for its outstanding collections of ancient sculptures and paintings (from the Middle Ages to the Modern period).

‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli Perhaps the Uffizi’s most famous work, The Birth of Venus is one of those paintings that has achieved a level of fame so great it almost obscures the greatness of the original work.

DAVID WAS INTENDED FOR GREAT HEIGHTS. In 1501, the city government of Florence commissioned Michelangelo to create the piece as part of a series of statues meant to adorn the roofline of Florence’s cathedral dome.

Accademia Gallery (since 1873)

Michelangelo’s David has become one of the most recognized works of Renaissance sculpture; a symbol of strength and youthful beauty. The colossal size of the statue alone impressed Michelangelo’s contemporaries.

David, (flourished c. 1000 bce), second king of ancient Israel. He founded the Judaean dynasty and united all the tribes of Israel under a single monarch. His son Solomon expanded the empire that David built.

Florence became a very wealthy city because of the trade of textiles, especially the trade of wool. The workers took untreated and unfinished wool from other places and worked it into high quality wool that was sold in many places. Florence’s bankers had influence throughout Europe.

Florence was not dominated by royal courts, like other states. Instead, it was a republic with an elected government. This made the city more frugal in taste, which also meant that the behaviour of people in terms of wealth accumulation and saving was more moderate and humble, contributing to the thriving economy.

An increase in prices and changes from the trade centers on the Mediterranean to one center on the Atlantic, made Florence the selected destination. Bankers became extremely rich, the creation of money markets led to the arrival of investments in the arts.

A guild is a union of artisans or traders who manage the work of their craft/trade in a selective area. The initial examples of guild created as confraternities of merchants. They have created in a way something between a licensed corporation, a business union, a cartel, and a confidential society.

Why was Florence such an ideal city for artistic expression? Florence promoted economic and social freedom. What did an artist have to do to become part of the guild?