Florence, Italy - Accademia di Belle Arti

The Crown Princess docked at the port in Livorno.  I joined the tour group to Florence to sample a bit of the wonders in that city with "viewing the statue of Michelangelo's David" as one of my biggest choices.  As we entered the city, I noticed that some of the trees had been trimmed all the way back to the main branches.  The cars were generally smaller.

Not all of the trees were trimmed.

This was a graveyard with interesting headstones.

The bus also passed one of the arches in the city.  Thanks to Mom for helping me to identify this.  This is Arco di Trionfo at the Piazza della Libertà.

The bus dropped us off in the area of #1 and we began our short walk to Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) and the "David" viewing.  . 

We got in the entrance line and our guide went to get our tickets.  The line for groups was long, but it looked like the line for individual entry was longer.  Street vendors with poster copies of artworks worked the streets, starting at $20 for a poster.  The last bargain I heard mentioned was $5 for 2!  Of course, they scattered when the police car drove down the street.

Street lamp attached to the building along with the street signs.

The various entrances to the school were gated so that we wouldn't sneak in.

Apartments lined the streets.

A student, enroute to a class room or to find a spot in front of one of the masters to work.

Stenciled graffiti.

An interesting wooden door across the street.

Yes!  My ticket to the the Firenze Musei.

Hmmm,a conversation outside of a partially closed door.  The semi circle artwork above the door is pretty.

A doorbell and a mail slot.

We stepped inside the museum and I saw the sign that said "No photography" but I didn't think that it meant here in the lobby.

So, no photos of the statue of David by Michelangelo.  We also saw four unfinished "prisoners".  See more details about The Gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti.  The statue of David that I saw here is the original. There is a copy in the original spot where the statue stood, outside, in Palazzo Vecchio.

So, you may ask, what type of work do present day students of the Academy produce now?  See the website of local Arizona artist Otto Rigan for examples.  When I mentioned that I was going to Florence to see the statue of David, Otto told me that he had attended the Academy.