I heard on NPR this morning that next year David will be 500 years old. They are getting ready to clean him and there is a big controversy in Florence over whether to dry clean or bathe him. I guess that the restoration of the Last Supper in Milan resulted in some of the colors fading, and some factions are worried what any type of cleaning will do the marble of the statue. One person who had been hired to handle it has quit amid all the controversy. It?ll be interesting to see what they end up deciding to do. Has anyone else heard anything about this?

Hot debate has increased for the past couple of months. Caution is understandable and I think this is a commandment: thou shalt not mess up the world's most famous naked man.

I guess I'm one of the last to know about this - LOL. Another thread on this topic from a few months ago has been topped.
I sat in my car in the parking lot at the office this morning to hear the whole report because I'll be seeing David for the first time on October 3rd. Clean or dirty, I'm sure I will love him!

Has there been any indication that access to David may be closed at some point in the near future while the work is going on?
Thanks

Hi all,

With the current raging controversy, it's unlikely any work will be done on David for years.

They have been planning the cleaning for over ten years, now.

I think Ira has the Italians pegged! Everything takes longer it seems in Italy, but what a lovely country and people.

Very excited for you, TravelerGina! David is quite the specimen, but for me the surprise was the pieta--how stone can project such subtle passion and emotion...it took my breath away!

Buon Viaggio! (hope that's right-it's been too many years now)

Thanks, Klondike. I agree about the Pieta - I saw it last year and it certainly is breathtaking.

After Florence, we'll be going to Rome and four of our group of six have never been there, so the first thing we want to do after getting settled in our rooms is take the metro to the Colosseum - we're looking forward to seeing their faces when we exit the metro and they find it right before their eyes. It's so unexpected that I was speechless for a moment when I saw it.