It is 6pm in Florence, and my daughter just called to ask me if it were important to see the real David, or if seeing the replica in the Piazza would suffice. She said the line is so long to get in, and she's considering taking a taxi to the Piazza, then to the train station to catch a night train to Paris. (Whirlwind trip through Italy) What would you do?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Real or nothing. Nothing works.
Posted by
San Carlos, CA, USA
393 posts
If all she has time for is the replica, tell her not to bother. She should see the real David on another trip.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16236 posts
Besides the replica in the original spot (in front of Palazzo Vecchio) there is one more at Piazzale Michelangelo. It's kind of green, but otherwise it looks the same. But if you also have no time for either, just wait for a "Florentine" Hotel to open in Las Vegas and see a replica there. I'm sure they will build one soon.
Posted by
OP
St Louis, MO, USA
2 posts
Thank you all for your quick replies. She just called from a place where she was eating dinner, within view of the David in the plaza. A woman she met on the street was insisting on her seeing the original. But she's taking the advice I am passing along from Rick Steves: Assume you will return. She asked where else she could go in the next hour or two. She heard about a Michelangelo in a chapel. I also suggested the Ponte Vecchio.
(I pulled out some notes on our trip to Italy, and found I had bought tickets at ticketitaly.com, so I checked it out. The last admission time at the Academy was 5:30...)
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Only she can determine what's "important" for her. I can't imagine being that close to the real David and NOT going to see it. But as much as it sometimes galls me to admit it, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to travel. Just don't ask my permission to skip one of the masterpieces of the world. (I'm tempted to say that she could have saved herself a lot of money by just looking at photos of Italy instead of actually going, but that would be tacky, wouldn't it?) :-)
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7180 posts
Yes Michael, that would be tacky! I do agree with you though, if I were that close I could not miss it. I am a fan of medieval history, Michelangelo, and sculpture as an art form, so for me it would be sacrilegious to miss something so important. On the other hand she is young and can return again.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I haven't been to Florence since 1989, but I remember being startled by the difference between the real David and the alleged "replica" you could see for free. It looks nothing like the real thing. In this case, you do get what you pay for.
Posted by
Pearland, Texas, USA
441 posts
The real David is so awe-inspiring that I would make another trip to Florence to see it. I'd see the cathedral instead, since time is short. When I was there, I stayed in the city and the B&B got tickets so I didn't have to stand in the line.
Posted by
Asnieres sur Vegre, France
127 posts
I assume that your daughter is young and I think it is wonderful that she is looking at art in Florence. When I was young and lived in Italy, I was looking for the nearest party.