La Accademia?

Michelangelo's David is arguably the iconic sculpture in the history of art. The museum has several other sculptures by Michelangelo, unfinished, which demonstrate his technique as well as his creative process. It would be impossible for me to be in Firenze and not go to the Accademia, but I am a Michelangelo stalker.

But if you don't have time, you have to skip something. Perhaps less time at the Uffizi, seeing only the things that really interest you?

Go to Florence and skip David.??

Would you go to Hawaii and not go to the beach?

Cannot imagine being there and skipping it.

Its your trip, but you will miss a truly magnificent work of art.

Perhaps I am now stalking in zoes footsteps, but I found the partial sculptures she reference, the ones he apparently wanted to leave in a partially carved state, to be amazing. I had to loop back and see them a second time before leaving

What they all said!

I'll add that the way David is displayed at the Accademia is so magnificent, it's hard to believe it was not created for that space. Having seen pictures and replicas, I was still not prepared for how powerful the experience of seeing this supreme masterwork would be.

You can also see (for free) the copy that's outside the Palacio Vecchio -- but seeing David at the Accademia IS amazing. If you buy a Firenze Card, it's already included, with quicker entrance. If you don't, and you can't get reservations, the line may be looong. But it's YOUR trip, so don't worry about what others say is "important"

1) It is indeed YOUR trip. If the David or the other works in the Accademia don't call to you, skip them and spend your time seeing something else. Just because it is someone else's, or even almost everyone else's, idea of a "must see" does not mean it has to be yours. You can't do "everything" in Florence in one visit, so focus on what you will see - not what you will miss.

2) Do be aware, however, that the "copy" of the David that is outdoors looks nothing like the real thing! When I did get in to the Accademia, I was astounded at how much better it looked than the one outdoors. In this case, you do get what you pay for; the free one is quite junky in comparison. So, if you do want to see the David, don't be fooled into thinking the free outdoor one is at all equivalent.

3) It's been many years (time for me to go back to Florence), but the thing that made the strongest impression on my at the Accademia was The Rape of the Sabines http://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/rape-sabines/. So, the Accademia has more than just the David or even just Michelangelo, although of course those are what draw the crowds.

Michelangelo purposely left the prisoners unfinished, and they are purposely on display together with the David, the sculpture he perfectly finished.
The Accademia has been designed to make us walk between the Prisoners while looking at the David at a distance; they wanted us to understand Michelangelo's idea that a sculptor just "frees" something that's imprisoned in marble. After all it was the museum for the students of Florence Accademy of Fine Arts.

The David could be the most important sculpure in the history of western art. For sure it clearly tells us about Michelangelo's political views: it's not a coincidence if the Medici's supporters threw rubbish against it the first time it was displayed in public.

Since you only have one day, I would skip the Uffizi and visit the Accademia, Bargello, San Marco and Santa Croce. I know this sounds like heresy, but hear me out:

The Uffizi will likely be unbearably crowded and maybe not worth it unless you're a super art buff. The Accademia will be crowded, but you can see the David and the Slaves almost as soon as you walk in the door.

I loved Santa Croce myself, and it won't be as crowded as the top attractions. The same is true for the Bargello - excellent but managable collection (especially sculpure) and you will have space to enjoy what you're looking at. I've never been to San Marco so I won't speak to that.

Enjoy your day in Florence!

I agree that this is your vacation and you have to decide what is most meaningful to you. That being said, I think you should really try to see the David. I doubt you'd regret it. The other sculptures and art in the Accademia are interesting and beautiful, but to me, David is worth the price of admission. It actually took my breath away when I saw him. I also loved Santa Croce and seeing the burial spots, plus its wonderful facade. I've never been to San Marco, so can't speak to that. Perhaps spend less time in the Uffizi (hard to do, I know). David is magnificent!

I agree with Harold, the copy is not a substitute.

Confession: I love the David, but the real draw for me is the Saint Matthew.

I am sure you have the drift now, but thought I would add my vote for David. It was one place I scheduled "because it was there" and so was I. But it totally caught me off-guard when I rounded the corner to actually see it. Loved it. Both times I have been. The unfinished statues are also impressive. Also another vote for Santa Croce. Didn't make it to the Bargello, but was less in love with the Ufizzi - but that is just my personal preference.

Another vote for the logia do lanzi (outdoor collection of statues) nice last stop for the evening w a gelato in hand

Thanks for all the replies. The message is clear - visit La Accademia! I've been convinced. While I do want to make the trip my own and make sure I see the things that interest me the most, I also value "seeing what should be seen," and LA and especially David seem to fit that category. I think one of the reasons for my question is I need to purchase a ticket in advance to avoid the lines at LA (I evaluated the Firenze Card and don't mind paying some more than the number of museums I'd be able to visit, but with my limited time I just won't be able to make it to enough museums to make it worthwhile or will spend so much time in museums trying to make it worthwhile that I won't see outdoor Florence as much as I'd like), and since you have to commit to a time I'm concerned it will further limit a day that will already have a commitment to a time to enter the Uffizi without waiting. I don't think I want to skip the Uffizi altogether, but I can commit to a time at each and still see what else I want to see and spend time outside, and can reduce the amount of time at the Uffizi without missing it altogether. I've done some research on it and can identify what I'd most like to see. I like the suggestion to visit the outdoor statue area and will plan to do that. Thanks again for all the replies and words of wisdom.