Il Davide Restaurato

Donatello's David, believed to have been completed around 1440, depicts the young David triumphantly standing over Goliath's head while holding a sword. This bronze sculpture is considered Donatello's finest work and one of the Renaissance masterpieces.

Between 2007 and 2008, with funding from the Civil Protection, a delicate restoration was carried out in the same Salone di Donatello at the Bargello Museum. The restorers worked in full view of the public in the salon, allowing visitors to observe the restoration process live. They used new techniques, including laser beams, to remove accumulated dirt and grime, and polished a thin layer of gold that enhances the sculpture's shine. Although the David is not completely gilded, it features gold details on the sword's pommel, the hat's leaves, the sandals' palmettes, and the wings of Goliath's helmet.

Before the restoration, X-ray tests and three-dimensional ultrasounds were conducted to analyze the sculpture. The restoration, which cost approximately $258,000 and took a year and a half, was the first cleaning of this sculpture in a century.

To mark the restoration, the Bargello Museum presented the restored piece in an exhibition that took place from July 2008 to November 2009.