Michelangelo's statue of David to be placed on earthquake-proof plinth
comments
The Italian government has announced plans to spend £160,000 creating an 'earthquake-proof' plinth for Michelangelo's statue of David.
Culture minister Dario Franceschini said funds would be provided to build an anti-seismic platform beneath the 14ft statue in the Accademia Gallery in Florence after hundreds of earth tremors shook the city and the surrounding region in recent days.
As many as 250 earthquakes measuring up to 4.1 on the Richter scale have hit Tuscany in recent days, resulting in schools, houses and offices being evacuated.
The Italian government has announced plans to spend £160,000 creating an 'earthquake-proof' plinth for Michelangelo's statue of David
No injuries were reported but about 200 people fled their homes in Greve, 20 miles south of Florence.
Share this article
'The earthquake in Florence fortunately did not damage the government's cultural assets,' Mr Franceschini said as he announced funding to save the statue.
'But it has made the need to approve this project even more urgent. A masterpiece like David must not be left to any risk.'
Last spring, experts revealed that Michelangelo's marble sculpture, created between 1501 and 1504, was at risk of collapsing due to a set of micro-fractures in its ankles.
Angelo Tartuferi, director of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence which has housed the statue since 1873, said the platform would be ready for use within the year.
Last spring, experts revealed that Michelangelo's marble sculpture, created between 1501 and 1504, was at risk of collapsing due to a set of micro-fractures in its ankles
The gallery has already limited then the number of visitors and ordered a special platform to minimize vibrations.
Tests by the National Research Council and Florence University have revealed that vibrations from local traffic and the millions of visitors who come to visit the statue each year have contributed to weakening the five-tonne statue.
A number of other cultural treasures in Italy have been equipped with anti-seismic bases in a bid to protect them from the frequent earthquakes that hit the country.
A special plinth designed by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development was developed for the 2,500-year-old statues known as the Bronzes of Riace in the southern city of Reggio Calabria.
As many as 250 earthquakes measuring up to 4.1 on the Richter scale have hit Tuscany in recent days, resulting in schools, houses and offices being evacuated
The two square marble plinths are lined with spheres that are developed to roll when the statues are placed under stress.
In April 2009, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook the town L'Aquila, 100 kilometers east-northeast of Rome, killing 309 people.
It was the biggest earthquake disaster to hit Italy in recent years, and was preceded by several weeks of minor tremors.
The earthquakes come after it was revealed that tourism in Tuscany is back to the record levels of 2011.
According to recent statistics, this year 43.4 million tourists visited the Italian region, which is the second highest result ever.
The earthquakes come after it was revealed that tourism in Tuscany is back to the record levels of 2011
'Compared with 2013, this year there have been 209,000 more arrivals and 441,000 more overnight visitors,' explained Mr Alberto Perruzzini, director of the touristic sector of Toscana Promozione. These numbers confirm that Tuscany is still very appealing.
'More and more foreigners decide to visit this region for holidays – today they represent 53 percent of the total number of tourists.'
Mr Perruzzini added: 'We think that in 2015 there will be more arrivals from the US, Canada and China, while those from Brazil and Russia will get more stable.
'There should be a general increase of 2.5 percent in arrivals. For what concerns European tourists, we think that 2015 will be a pretty stable year, with maybe some more visitors from France, Spain and from northern Europe, Great Britain included.'
Put the internet to work for you.
| |
| Recommended for you |
0 comments:
Post a Comment