This David doesn't look a day over 350 years old, yet he is.
FLORENCE, Italy -- The city of Florence, Italy is throwing a two-month party to celebrate the 500th birthday of Michelangelo's masterpiece "David."
Five centuries ago, the famed sculptor and painter unveiled his interpretation of the biblical hero.
Florence is celebrating the anniversary by holding very modern dances at night and staging traditional Renaissance readings in the daytime.
Scholars are holding public debates over the meaning and best qualities of the statue.
And, of course, tourists are expected in droves. "David" has rarely looked better. A head-to-toe cleaning that took centuries of grime away was finished in May.
"David" draws more than 1 million admirers a year.
David The Statue
David stands about 17 feet off the ground with pedestal. The statue is 13 1/2 feet tall.
Michelangelo worked on the sculpture for three years, from 1501-1504. -
It was unveiled Sept. 8, 1504. -
The statue was originally intended for the roof of the Florence Cathedral.
Instead it was first placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
It was later moved to the Galleria dell'Accademia.
The statue underwent a significant cleaning recently, completed in May.
Michelangelo
His full name was Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Michelangelo was born in 1475 in the village of Caprese, but grew up in Florence.
At the age of 13, Michelangelo was apprenticed to a Florentine painter.
He stayed there only a year and soon moved on to the house of Lorenzo de' Medici. There he met and learned from many leading artists of the day.
Michelangelo believed the male nude was the perfect form of art.
To better portray the human body, Michelangelo began dissecting corpses when he was 21.
Michelangelo was a religious man, as is apparent in most of his works.
Sculpting David
Michelangelo started sculpting David when he was 26 years old.
The sculpture of the biblical hero established Michelangelo as a master artist.
It is especially noted for the pose, which suggests impending movement as if David is tense and sizing up his enemy.
Critics say David does have some flaws: the hands and head are much too large in proportion to the rest of the body.
Some believe that's because the statue was originally intended for a cathedral roof and the size would have made the head and hands more visible.
David The King
By biblical tradition, David was the youngest son of a shepherd named Jesse.
He grew up tending his father's flocks and was known for his musical skills.
In the bible, David is credited with overcoming a giant named Goliath using nothing more than his slingshot.
David became king of Judah about 1000 B.C. Then around 993 B.C. he became king of Israel.
He is known for establishing Israel as an independent state.
Among his many military victories was the conquering of Zion -- the city that David would use as the core of his capital, Jerusalem.
FLORENCE, Italy -- The city of Florence, Italy is throwing a two-month party to celebrate the 500th birthday of Michelangelo's masterpiece "David."
Five centuries ago, the famed sculptor and painter unveiled his interpretation of the biblical hero.
Florence is celebrating the anniversary by holding very modern dances at night and staging traditional Renaissance readings in the daytime.
Scholars are holding public debates over the meaning and best qualities of the statue.
And, of course, tourists are expected in droves. "David" has rarely looked better. A head-to-toe cleaning that took centuries of grime away was finished in May.
"David" draws more than 1 million admirers a year.
David The Statue
David stands about 17 feet off the ground with pedestal. The statue is 13 1/2 feet tall.
Michelangelo worked on the sculpture for three years, from 1501-1504. -
It was unveiled Sept. 8, 1504. -
The statue was originally intended for the roof of the Florence Cathedral.
Instead it was first placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
It was later moved to the Galleria dell'Accademia.
The statue underwent a significant cleaning recently, completed in May.
Michelangelo
His full name was Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Michelangelo was born in 1475 in the village of Caprese, but grew up in Florence.
At the age of 13, Michelangelo was apprenticed to a Florentine painter.
He stayed there only a year and soon moved on to the house of Lorenzo de' Medici. There he met and learned from many leading artists of the day.
Michelangelo believed the male nude was the perfect form of art.
To better portray the human body, Michelangelo began dissecting corpses when he was 21.
Michelangelo was a religious man, as is apparent in most of his works.
Sculpting David
Michelangelo started sculpting David when he was 26 years old.
The sculpture of the biblical hero established Michelangelo as a master artist.
It is especially noted for the pose, which suggests impending movement as if David is tense and sizing up his enemy.
Critics say David does have some flaws: the hands and head are much too large in proportion to the rest of the body.
Some believe that's because the statue was originally intended for a cathedral roof and the size would have made the head and hands more visible.
David The King
By biblical tradition, David was the youngest son of a shepherd named Jesse.
He grew up tending his father's flocks and was known for his musical skills.
In the bible, David is credited with overcoming a giant named Goliath using nothing more than his slingshot.
David became king of Judah about 1000 B.C. Then around 993 B.C. he became king of Israel.
He is known for establishing Israel as an independent state.
Among his many military victories was the conquering of Zion -- the city that David would use as the core of his capital, Jerusalem.
