Restorers want to examine ‘David’

He’s not in bad shape considering he celebrates his 500th birthday this year, but Michelangelo’s “David” is suffering from weak ankles.

A team of art restorers, halfway through giving the white marble statue his first bath in more than a century, say they want to give David a scan to assess the damage.

“The ankles are one of the most fragile parts of the sculpture; they are full of cracks,” said Cinzia Parnigoni, the restorer in charge of the cleanup at Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia.

David has survived lightning, medieval riots and a dousing in acid, however, and Parnigoni sees no need for alarm. “The scan, which we’ll do in the next few months, will help us get a more in-depth picture and gauge what the risks are. But ... there’s no need to fear anything catastrophic,” she said.

From Reuters