Every two months, Michelangelo's masterpiece, completed in 1504, undergoes a careful cleaning at its home in Florence's Accademia Gallery, where it has resided for over 150 years
Italian restorer Eleonora Pucci cleans Michelangelo's statue of David using a backpack vacuum and synthetic fibre brush at the Galleria dell'Accademia, in Florence on February 19, 2024. Image: Tiziana Fabi/ AFP©
Even the David gets dusty. Every two months, Michelangelo's masterpiece completed in 1504 undergoes a careful cleaning at its home in Florence's Accademia Gallery, where it has resided for over 150 years. Â
Considered by many awestruck viewers to represent the perfect man, the 17-foot-high (5.1 metre) sculpture carved from a single block of marble stands alone under the skylight of the domed gallery on Mondays, when the museum is closed.