Weak ankles could topple Michelangelo's 'David,' experts warn

[jakeXT]

Researchers in Italy have warned that Michelangelo's David is at risk of toppling, and they say its ankles are to blame. The celebrated marble sculpture, housed at a museum in Florence, stands at about 17 feet and weighs over 12,000 pounds. It's remained largely intact for more than 500 years, but tiny cracks in its ankles may threaten its stability, according to recent findings from Italy's National Research Council (CNR), published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage.

Experts have long said that David is at risk of collapsing due to the poor-quality marble that Michelangelo used, as well as its precarious pose. Because of these structural problems, an earthquake or even vibrations from nearby construction could cause it to fall. To test its stability, researchers from CNR and the University of Florence created small plaster replicas of the sculpture and exposed them to forces stronger than gravity inside a centrifuge. Based on their results, they believe the ankle micro-fractures developed after years of outdoor exposure in a public square, where it leaned forward at an angle of about five degrees. David was put on public display outside a Florentine government building in 1504, when it was first unveiled, before being moved inside the Accademia Gallery in 1873.

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http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/2/5674442/weak-ankles-could-topple-michelangelos-david-experts-warn

And don't let tourists near it

Student Breaks 19th Century Greco-Roman Statue While Taking a Selfie

There are a few basic rules in museums. The first: don’t touch the art. The second: don’t take selfies while touching the art.

At a museum in Milan, Italy, a student reportedly broke that second rule: he climbed on a statue dating back to the early 19th century to take a selfie and caused the statue’s left leg to fall off. The discovery was made on Tuesday morning by the staff of the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, one of Italy’s most renowned academic institutions, and it was apparently also recorded by security cameras.

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http://time.com/28679/student-breaks-statue-selfie/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I hope they can fix it.

We saw it last summer, and it was an amazing sight. No photos were allowed but we did get to walk around it while our guide explained its history.

It is truly magnificent.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

2. I know how he must feel.