Michelangelo's David has been here since 1873, under a purpose-built skylit tribune. It is seventeen feet tall and the thing that surprises people is the hands and the head, which are deliberately oversized because it was meant to be seen from far below.
The corridor leading to it holds the Prisoners — four unfinished figures apparently fighting their way out of the marble. Many people find them the better work.
The rest of the gallery is Florentine painting and a collection of historic musical instruments, and it is small. This is a short visit, not a half day.
⛔ Do not queue on the day in season. It is a small building with a hard cap on numbers, and people spend hours outside and are turned away.
The Accademia in pictures
