Florence, Piazzale Michelangelo's David restoration-show will be completed by the end of the year

The restoration of the David in Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence continues, and the completion of the major work of upgrading and cleaning the sculptural group, designed and directed by the City of Florence and carried out by Cooperativa Archeologia, is expected by the end of 2021.

This is the first methodologically correct restoration since the work was completed. In this regard, endoscopic investigations have been carried out to examine the integrity of the statue inside and diagnostic investigations with the support of the CNR to verify the composition of the bronze alloy and the level of oxidation derived from atmospheric agents and pollutants.

The work will restore the David and base to an appearance closer to its original one, slightly altering the visual perception now acquired decades ago: the David’s light green coloring will give way to a darker green. Major cleaning work on the entire sculptural group has allowed the elimination of oxidation phenomena, while the application of a protective film with a delicate brush application will ensure the integrity of the surfaces in the coming years.

The restoration was made possible thanks to an agreement between the City of Florence and the Florentine fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A., which, through Art Bonus, provided a liberal disbursement earmarking it for the conservation of Italy’s artistic heritage.

The partnership came to fruition thanks to the restoration project drawn up in a very tight timeframe by the Fine Arts Service of the Palazzo Vecchio’s Technical Services Directorate, through which it was possible to renew the relationship with one of the city’s most important donors: the proposal was formulated with a major conservation action on Florence’s main open-air museum, the civic square, extended to the Poggiana terrace that celebrates the city’s image.

The restoration work will be accompanied in closing by a maintenance plan: a detailed list of interventions planned over the coming years, to ensure longevity for the work and the conservation intervention that is nearing completion.

As has now been tried and tested in other major restoration sites of the Florentine administration, the bidding process was geared toward the acquisition of improved proposals for site logistics, aimed at ensuring the perception and enjoyment of the works being restored, with the intention of guaranteeing the conservation of the heritage with minimal impact to the public enjoyment of it. In this context, the contracted company, Cooperativa Archeologia, has proposed the Cantiere come evento project: a construction site that itself becomes a stage set, to celebrate the restoration of icons of the collective imagination, guaranteeing the visibility of the monument for tourists and citizens visiting Piazzale Michelangelo, who have the opportunity to admire the restorers at work.

In January 2022, coinciding with the dismantling of the construction site and scaffolding of the David sculptural group in Piazzale Michelangelo, work will continue on the sculptural groups in Piazza della Signoria, where preliminary operations are already underway for the accantieramento with a project that will further encourage experiential tourism, with more direct contact with the public.

Indeed, that of the David is the first work in an intensive program of restoration of Florentine artworks, desired and commissioned by the City of Florence, which also includes the sculptural groups in Piazza della Signoria, namely the equestrian statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici by Giambologna in Piazza della Signoria, Baccio Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus and Michelangelo’s copy of David placed at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio, and the copy of Judith and Holofernes on the Arengario in Palazzo Vecchio.

Florence, Piazzale Michelangelo's David restoration-show will be completed by the end of the year

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