4 Facts You Don’t Know about Michelangelo’s David

Tuscany is well known for being one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, and while many people come here for the landscapes, history, and culture there are a variety of amazing attractions – one of which is Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze.

If you’re planning to visit Florence any time soon, you’re going to want to make sure that you stop by and see this iconic piece of art and history. Here are some interesting facts about Michelangelo’s David that you might not know already.

1: There are quite a few copies

If you decide to visit Florence, you might find quite a few replicas of the stunning statue dotted around. One is located where the original was once placed (which is in front of the Palazzo Vecchio), and another is on top of the Piazzale Pichelangelo – although this one is special, thanks to the fact that it’s made of bronze. Most will agree that there’s nothing quite like seeing the real deal in person, though.

2: David is based upon a biblical hero

The statue is based on the biblical hero David. This figurehead most notably took down Goliath in battle, and is the focus of many works of art – but there’s something that make Michelangelo’s piece different from the rest.

Michelangelo opted to display the hero on his own instead of in the middle of battle, and many experts believe that this shows David before the skirmish took place, hence why he seems to be a little anxious.

3: One hand is bigger than the other

When looking at the statue, your attention might be drawn to David’s right hand, as it’s quite a bit bigger than it should be in comparison to the rest of the body. This is believed to have been intentional, though. David’s nickname was “strong of hand”, or in Italian, manu fortis.

Because of this, many art historians suspect that this excellent sculptor didn’t make a mistake, but was instead making a reference to a part of the legend’s history.

4: It was made from a single, unwanted block of marble

Before Michelangelo had the chance to get his hands on the marble that would one day become his greatest work of art, it had actually been set aside by two other artists. The first was Agostino di Duccio, and it didn’t take long for him to discard the piece.

After 10 years of not being used, Antonio Rosselino decided to try making something with the very same block, although he too ended up throwing out the idea of his project. Michelangelo had been the third and final person to attempt working with it – and after 40 years, it was finally made into the masterpiece that we now know and love.