Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Piazza della Signoria in 1504, Florentines immediately adopted
David
as an emblem of
power, liberty and civic pride.
The Slaves
Another soul-soaring work by Michelangelo,
Prigioni
(1521-30) evokes four 'prisoners'
or 'slaves' so powerfully that the figures really do seem to be writhing and struggling to
free themselves from the ice-cold marble. The work was intended for the tomb of Pope
Julius II in Rome, which was never completed.
Coronation of the Virgin
This remarkable piece of embroidery - an altar frontal 4m long and over 1m wide - por-
trays the
Coronazione della Vergine
(Coronation of the Virgin) in exquisite detail using
polychrome silks and gold and silver thread. Completed by master embroiderer Jacopo
Cambi in 1336, it originally covered the high altar of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella.
Botticelli's Madonna
Madonna del Mare
(Madonna of the Sea; 1477), a portrait of the Virgin and child by
Sandro Botticelli, exudes a mesmerising serenity. Compare it with works in the gallery
by Botticelli's master and mentor, Filippo Lippi (c 1457-1504), to whom some critics at-
tribute it.
Top Tips
›
Prebook tickets at
www.firenzemusei.it
.
›
Trail the world's best-known naked man around town: admire
David
copies on Piazza della Signoria and
Piazzale Michelangelo, and see how other artists sculpted him in the Museo del Bargello.
Take a Break
›
Keep cool in the queue with a gelato or almond
granita
(ice drink) from Sicilian-style ice-cream shop, Carabé
(
Click here
)
.
