The Gallery, first location of an ancient Hospital, was founded in 1784 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Leopoldo I, to become an important place of study for the students of the Fine Arts Academy who would have been positively influenced by the masterpieces inside the Gallery.

The gallery is situated in the historical center of Florence near San Marco Square, and sculptures and paintings of great florentine artists of middle ages and renaissance.

In 1873 the statue of David by Michelangelo was moved from piazza della Signoria, where it was placed in 1504 according to some eminent esperts, to the Accademia Gallery with the purpose to remove the statue from the external atmosphere and build an appropriate place for its exhibition.

The Gallery is arranged on 2 floors. At the ground floor it is possible to admire the original gypsum statue of “Rape of the Sabine’s” by Giambologna (1582) and various works by Michelangelo: “I Prigioni”, also named “the Slave”, the slave rewakening, the Slave named Atlante, the young Slave and the bearded Slave, all powerful and uncompleted sculptures, prearranged by Michelangelo for the grandiose mausoleum of Giulio II in Rome.

David represents the most famous work by Michelangelo. It was realized as a celebration of the return of the Republic and of the reconquest of liberty in Florence from Medici family reign  The statue was drawn out from a huge marble block that was abandoned in the courtyard of the Cathedral because considered unusable; now it dominates inside the round space of the gallery.  It represents the well known heroic figure of the bible, symbol of the courage of a young man while he’s facing the immeasurable strenght of a giant.

The Gallery contains another important marble group “ the Pietà di Palestrina” originated from a big fragment of ledge of the roman period; it was moved from Rome in 1940, purchased by Princes Barberini State. It is a very dramatic work that represents the body of Christ who is heavly collapsing on his legs while the Mother and Maria Maddalena try desperately to hold him up.