Michelangelo's David is among the most famous pieces of Renaissance artwork and remains a well-known symbol of Italy. More than 1.4 million people visit the sculpture annually at Florence's Accademia Gallery, according to American University. But Italian cultural curators are worried that the "marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence," The Associated Press reported recently.Â
Accademia Director Cecilie Hollberg is working to defend David from those profiting off the sculpture's image. Many of these souvenir items are "debasing" to the heritage and culture of the statue, Hollberg told the AP. Hollberg took her first stab at defending David when she sued "ticket scalpers using David's image to sell marked-up entrance packages outside the Accademia's doors," the AP said. Since then, Hollberg has gone after major brands in the courts, including GQ Italia for using David's face on a model's body.Â
The ongoing fight in Italy raises important questions, like: "Should institutions like the Accademia be the arbiters of taste, and do such decisions limit freedom of expression?" Euronews said. Some critics "view this as a land grab by the Italian courts to control and monetize artworks in the public domain that were never intended to be charged for," said Thomas C. Danziger, an art market lawyer in New York. Despite the success of Hollberg's lawsuits, art experts "warn that such an aggressive stance could backfire for Italy, perhaps even costing the country valuable revenue," Euronews said. | 
