Galleria dell'Accademia

Michelangelo's David

The Galleria dell'Accademia is home to a single world-famous work: Michelangelo's David. Working from a single block of Carrara marble, the sculptor, then only in his mid-twenties - carved the figure between 1501 and 1504: 5.17 metres tall and around 8.5 tonnes, the first colossal marble statue of the High Renaissance since antiquity. David is shown before his fight with Goliath: coiled watchfulness, the sling slung over one shoulder, his gaze fixed on his opponent. For the fiercely independent Florentine Republic he was a symbol, the small standing up to the great.

From 1504 to 1873 the David stood outdoors in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Only once the marble began to suffer from the weather was it moved into the Accademia's purpose-built Tribuna, a bright, top-lit apse at the end of the main hall. What you see today on Piazza della Signoria and at Piazzale Michelangelo are copies, the original stands only here.

The Prigioni and the rest of the collection

On the way to the Tribuna, Michelangelo's "Prigioni" ("prisoners" or "slaves") line the corridor

• unfinished figures from the never-completed tomb project for Pope Julius II. They look as if they are still fighting their way out of the raw marble, and give a rare, close-up look at Michelangelo's non-finito ("unfinished") technique: where the David is polished smooth, the stone here is left deliberately rough. Many visitors find this even more striking than the famous statue itself.

The Accademia is more than a room built around one statue, even if the David dominates the visit. The collection also includes Tuscan panel painting from the 13th to 16th centuries, with gold-ground altarpieces, and a notable collection of historic musical instruments, including pieces once owned by the Medici family. Anyone tracing Michelangelo's work across Florence should pair this visit with the New Sacristy in the Medici Chapels and his early marble tondo in the Bargello.

Tickets and admission

The full price has been €20 since 1 February 2026 (up from €16), plus a €4 booking fee. EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay a reduced rate of just €2, and entry is free under 18. The official advance sales channel is B-Ticket / Firenze Musei, authorised by Italy's Ministry of Culture; phone bookings are also possible on +39 055 294883.

• Visiting several museums works out cheaper with the combined tickets: Accademia + Bargello for €26 (valid 48 hours), or the six-museum ticket issued by the Galleria dell'Accademia e Musei del Bargello institution for €38 (valid 72 hours).
• Entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday of every month, but without booking, so expect a longer queue.
• The Firenze Card covers admission, but it only pays off if you're visiting several museums. For a single Accademia visit, a standalone ticket is cheaper. See the Firenze Card guide for details.

There's no separate fast-track option: booking a timed entry slot in advance is the skip-the-line route. For how to book tickets for Florence's museums in good time, see the Booking tickets guide.

Opening hours & best time to visit

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 18:50, with last entry 30 minutes before closing at 18:20. Closed on Mondays, as well as 1 January and 25 December. In summer there are traditionally Tuesday evening openings until around 22:00, a special extended opening with a surcharge, with exact dates announced separately each year (in 2025, roughly early June to late July).

Crowds here are just as reliable as at the Uffizi. It's quietest at first entry, 8:15, or in the late afternoon, and midweek is noticeably calmer than weekends. Even with a booking, there can be some queuing at the entrance, so arriving early pays off. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for the visit, the museum is compact.

Location & getting there

The Accademia is at Via Ricasoli 58/60, centrally placed between Piazza San Marco and the Duomo, in the San Lorenzo & San Marco district. It's around a five-minute walk from the Duomo. Just around the corner (roughly 180 metres) is the Museo di San Marco with its Fra Angelico frescoes, and a little further on is Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, home to Brunelleschi's Ospedale degli Innocenti foundling hospital.

The visit combines well into a half-day route: on via the Medici Chapels and Mercato Centrale back towards San Lorenzo. For background on Michelangelo and the era, see the Renaissance Art guide.