Is Michelangelo's David about to collapse?
Franco Origlia/Getty Images
Michelangelo's famous statue of the biblical David brings spectators from around the globe to the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy. Recent reports, though, would have you believe that tourists don't have much longer before the statue collapses.
Last week, a BBC report declared that David is about to collapse due to its ankle fractures and "poor-quality marble." Italian newspaper La Gazzetta del Sud suggested the statue be moved to an earthquake-free room to minimize its chances of crumbling.
Today, however, Florence's museums authority, Polo Fiorentino Museale, decided to clear the air with an official statement that David is not in danger. Marco Ferri, a spokesperson for the authority, told AFP that there was "nothing dramatic" about last week's findings and that the gallery has no plans to move the statue.
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"Even if there is an earthquake of 5.0 or 5.5 on the Richter scale, Florence will stay in one piece. And David would be the last to fall," Ferri said.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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