Michelangelo's 550th Birthday Celebrated in Florence with Year-Long Program

Florence's Gallerie dell'Accademia launches a year-long program for Michelangelo's 550th birthday, starting March 6, 2025. The initiative includes evening visits, lectures, concerts, and accessibility projects. Key events: Cristina Acidini on Michelangelo and Vittoria Colonna (March 10), Francesco Caglioti on the David, Tomaso Montanari and Francesco Gori on the Slaves and Julius II tomb, Marco Pierini on Michelangelo's contemporary influence, and a Vinicio Capossela concert. The museum houses Michelangelo's David, Slaves, San Matteo, and Pietà Palestrina. Director Massimo Osanna emphasized museums as dialogue spaces. A prior exhibition "Michelangelo e il potere" ran at Palazzo Vecchio from October 2024 to January 2025, curated by Cristina Acidini and Sergio Risaliti with Fondazione Casa Buonarroti, featuring over 50 works including Bruto bust, plaster Pietà replica, and St. Peter's plan drawing.