Michelangelo in Florence: private tour for children

Offering your kids the chance to approach beauty and art from small a young age is a wonderful gift that will surely make them grow into better adults. Visiting Florence and its countless beauties will increase their sensitivity towards 'beauty’ and our tour to discover the masterpieces of Michelangelo will help them along this fantastic discovery. With a simple language, within children’s grasp, our guides will tell them all the secrets about Michelangelo's David, about the unfinished statues called ‘’i prigioni’ and also the particular graffiti on the outside walls of Palazzo Vecchio. Don’t worry, you will not see the usual bored faces and the typical museum yawns! This tour designed for the little ones will engage, entertain and interest them. In the end, without realizing it, they will have learned many things about the genius of Renaissance sculpture. It will be a pleasant experience that will enrich the whole family and allow you to spend some really enjoyable hours.

Visiting the masterpieces by Michelangelo Buonarroti, which are kept in Florence, we can only begin with 'David' in Piazza della Signoria, in front of the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio. Did you know it's a copy? In fact, on the occasion of celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the birth of the great sculptor - precisely in 1873 - the statue was moved to Galleria dell’Accademia where it is still kept. The guides will explain to children that sheltered from the rain, wind and heavy temperatures the wonderful David will keep intact all its beauty. Near the mighty statue dedicated to the hero who defeated Golia, the children will see a strange incision: it is on the wall of Palazzo Vecchio, to the right of the marble complex of ‘Hercules and Cacus’. Your kids will have fun listening to the funny story behind that sketchy portrait. It seems that an acquaintance of Michelangelo often annoyed him with endless conversations. As he spotted him in Piazza della Signoria, he would start talking. One time Michelangelo did not know how to get rid of him, and as he listened to him talking with his shoulders to the wall of Palazzo Vecchio and with his hands hidden behind his back, he sculpted the portrait that is still visible today. This is why the caricature by Michelangelo is called ‘L’importunio’. Certainly only a genius of sculpture like Michelangelo could do it in that position... see before believing! 

Once we will have seen the copy of David in Piazza della Signoria, our guides will accompany you to Galleria dell’Accademia where you can see the real David that was carved between 1501 and 1504. It will be interesting to discover that before him two other artists had tried, without succeeding, to carve the same subject from the same material. They argued that that marble was not suitable for carving. The work had been requested by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, but only young Michelangelo who was only 26 years old succeeded. Your kids will learn what it means to be a genius: to do spontaneously what others cannot do... and do it incredibly well. You do not need to have studied art to notice David's anatomical perfection. Younger ones, even if it is not allowed, will be tempted to touch it: those muscles look real! Children will probably not be told that Michelangelo actually dissected corpses to study the physiognomy of muscles and tendons! It will be explained to them, however, that the sculptor observed in detail particulars of the whole body in order to create such a perfect statue in marble! In the same museum you will be able to admire other sculptures by Michelangelo: the 'Prigioni'. There are 4 unfinished statues and this is why they are even more fascinating. They can be considered as Michelangelo's model sculptures, used to test his techniques. Children and adults will understand better how Michelangelo worked when he started to carve out of a piece of marble to transform it into precisely into what he had in mind. ‘Free the spirit from matter' was the idea that was already embodied by these sculpture. There are four of these statues in the Accademia: The Awakening Slave, The Young Slave, The Bearded Slave and The Atlas. 

What do you think? Take advantage ofthis opportunity to approach in a simple and direct way a great artist like Michelangelo. Along with the whole family you will be accompanied by our guides in this wonderful journey to discover all the stories and anecdotes that lie behind the works of the great sculptor. A journey that will be child-friendly, taking them by hand and guiding them to discover the beauty of a wonderful and timeless art: sculpture. Who knows, you might discover that one of your children contain the spark of an artist, which this Florentine experience could help bring to light. In order to avoid any problems, we advise you to hide any hammers and chisels before returning home... You never know, you might find an ‘Importunio’ on your wall!