Visit Florence Italy

The Galleria dell’Accademia or the Accademia Galleries is perhaps one of the most if not the most frequented art museum in the whole city of Florence. The reason for this is that this place contains the original marble statue of David carved by Michelangelo himself. Now even if you are not a fan of art I believe it should be required that you at least try and view this work in person just to say that you have done so at cocktail parties. At least you will have something to talk about.

Now assuming you can stand the swarms of tourists that arrive by the bus load to view this work there is far more to see then just the statue. For instance the hall leading up to the statue of David is the place where you will find four of his nonfiniti or unfinished sculptures of Slaves or Prisoners. These works epitomize the artists belief that his works are just waiting to be chiseled away from the excess stone that encases them.

Further down David’s wing you will see some of the paintings  by this great artist as well as many others that are said to be directly influenced by Michelangelo. For instance the painting of Venus and Cupid was supposedly drawn by the master then later painted by Pontormo . One important fact you need to keep in mind when visiting this art museum is that this was originally established as an art school in 1561 hence the name. So therefore you will see some of the works by the students of the great artists that were the teachers here.

Getting There
The address to this museum is:
Galleria dell’Accademia
Via Ricasoli, 60 Florence, 50122 Tuscany Italy
Tel: +39 55 238 8609

website 

Hours of operation
Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:50 p.m.
Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays

Since this is one of the most visited museums in the whole of Italy then it is a great idea to get reservations ahead of time. Be sure to go to the reservations entrance which is separate from the main entrance and ask to speak to the person from whom you made the reservation. That should make the task of getting in just a bit easier. Patience is very much required when visiting this site as the crowds can be a bit unbearable.

The city of Florence in Italy is in the heart of the Tuscany region of that country. For those that are familiar with that region you may know that this area is well known for it’s regional wine and food. For many that fact alone is the reason why they choose to visit this part of Italy. For others the interest is geared towards the classical arts and for this Florence is also the heart of the country. Here you will find many works of art from some of the most regarded artists of all time. I mean with names like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni who was also known as Michelangelo are just some of the works that are commonly seen in this area.

If wine and art does not capture your fancy then the sheer beauty of the place will surely capture anyone’s heart. The rolling hills of green with medieval towns sprouting up like mushrooms on the landscape give the whole area a surreal appearance to many Americans and those not used to structures existing for longer than two hundred years.

Speaking of time this place is just dripping in history and archaeological treasures. For many armchair archaeologists out there you can live your dream by visiting an actual archaeological dig site in the area. If you connect with your local University there could very well be a program that will actually let you work on these sites as a supervised volunteer.

Many of the great writers have made Florence their home at one time or another so you could visit some of the very same places they once stayed. Who knows the writing bug may catch you and you could sit down and write the next best sonnet or play that could become a great success. Of course I am dreaming when I say this but you just never know with this place which makes the city just so appealing.

What ever your reason to visit this city I am sure if you give it time it will capture your heart and mind. There are many opportunities to stay for a relatively long period of time as you could stay as a student, artist or even a volunteer teacher. Regardless of your reason I am sure that if you do choose to leave the city will call you back sometime in your life.