The Grand Reopening of the Accademia & Its New Layout

Home to Michelangelo’s iconic David, the Accademia Gallery finally reopened to the public in early May 2021. Like most other Florence museums, the Accademia was closed for nearly five months due to the pandemic.  This enforced isolation was interrupted only by a brief accessibility on weekdays from mid-January to mid-February.  This period of seeming hibernation, before the grand reopening, paved the way for a process of renovation and renewal yet to be completed.

A special itinerary has been laid out for the visitor to follow, thanks to the current remodeling of the museum, which included the installation of air conditioning, and the implementation of Covid safety protocols.

Besides its famous signature statue, the Accademia contains a gallery of plaster casts—a step to create marble sculptures—created in a fusion of neoclassical and naturalistic styles by 19th century artist Lorenzo Bartolini.  These are temporarily scattered throughout the itinerary due to work in progress.

Bartolini’s works, comprising busts of Florentine nobility, greet the guest at the beginning of the itinerary right before a room showcasing priceless 17th to 19th century musical instruments from Medici collections.  The exhibits comprise a viola and a cello created by Stradivarius in 1716 and a harpsichord made by Bartolomeo Cristofori.

Following is a temporary exhibition space, which currently hosts painting masterpieces from the 15th and 16th century centuries by such artists as Neri di Bicci, Paolo Uccello, and Filippino Lippi.  There is also the famous depiction of a Renaissance marriage ceremony by Lo Scheggio (Masaccio’s brother).  Moving along one enters into the Tribune, where Michelangelo’s statues presently share the space, incongruously, with full-size Bartolini sculptures of young women, either artistic nudes or who are dressed according to the canons of ancient Greece.

The hallway is flanked by Michelangelo’s unfinished Slaves in their eternal struggle to escape from stone, his Rondanini Pietà in a crescendo that culminates in what one visitor termed “the perfect man,” Michelangelo’s David, who also mirrors the soul of the Renaissance.  Even a statue of Renaissance great Filippo Brunelleschi is gazing at David along with the spectator.

For the near future, the treasures of the Accademia can be seen from Thursday to Sunday between 9 am and 6:45 pm only.  Only 150 people are allowed in at any given time.

To participate in a live tour of the Accademia Gallery and see its new layout in a video, click here.  (rosanna cirigliano)