ITALY: Florence and Michelangelo's the David

Florence is all about arts and culture.

A definite highlight and must-see is visiting Michelangelo's the David. 

Walking into the room the statue is imposing at 14 feet. 

The David was sculpted between 1501 and 1504. Michelangelo was 26 years old when it was completed. 

The detail is incredible. 

The look on his face as he concentrates his formidable task. 

Look at his eyes and the furrow in his brow and the concentration on the task he is about to perform. There are hearts in the pupils of his eyes to give them more emphasis. 

The detail in the veins in his arms. He was a master of human anatomy. 

The details in his hands and the veins. 

The fingers in his left hand gripping the sling shot and denting the leather

Look closely to see a spike in his wrist. We were told there was a fight and a piece of wood fell from a balcony and broke his wrist. A spike was required to stabilize the repair.

Somebody took a hammer to the toes and they had to repair them with plaster.

I found his unfinished Prisoners and Slaves equally fascinating, where you can see the work in progress and can imagine them coming to life as he carved them.

He had committed to making 40 of these, but they were never completed.

They show the process of making a man out of a slab of rock

Look at the body emerging from the stone. For me seeing it unfinished allows me to have a better understanding of how the process unfolds. 

And the man himself. 

A few pieces of trivia about Michelangelo: His nose was broken as a teenager by a jealous rival. (Artistic jealousy, not romantic.) David was created out of a discarded block of marble quarried 40 years earlier. He also wrote poetry. He worked until the week he died at 88.

All these facts will prove useful at your next cocktail party. You're welcome!