By Cristina Galle
The statue of David is one of the most well-known symbols of Florence. Michelangelo Buonarroti started sculpting the 14-foot statue in 1501 at the age of 26. As a fellow 26-year-old, it is nearly impossible for me to imagine myself taking on a project like this. The original statue was made from a single block of marble that was previously discarded by two other sculptors, but Michelangelo accepted the challenge. He completed the statue in 1504 and it stood in the Piazza della Signoria for 400 years; its current home is in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. It is fascinating to me that the marble rejected by other sculptors was used to create one of the most recognizable figures from the Renaissance.