Florence Museum Invites Florida School to Visit After Controversy Over Michelangelo’s David
The Florence museum that houses Michelangelo’s famous Renaissance sculpture the David has invited a Florida charter school to visit after a lesson featuring the statue forced the school’s principal to resign. The Tallahassee Classical School board pressured Principal Hope Carrasquilla to step down after an image of the David, which depicts the Biblical hero naked, was shown to a sixth-grade art class. The school has a policy requiring parents to be notified in advance about “controversial” topics being taught.
Florence Mayor Dario Nardella also tweeted an invitation for the former principal to visit so he can personally honour her. The Italian reaction to the incident highlighted how the U.S. culture wars are often perceived in Europe. In Italy, despite a rise in right-wing sentiment and governance, the Renaissance and its masterpieces, even the naked ones, are generally free of controversy.
Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia where the David resides, expressed astonishment at the controversy. She invited the principal, school board, parents, and student body to view the “purity” of the statue. Michelangelo sculpted the David between 1501-1504 after being commissioned by the Cathedral of Florence, and the statue helps draw 1.7 million visitors each year to the museum.
Tallahassee Classical is a charter school that operates almost entirely independently of the local school district and is sought out by parents seeking an alternative to the public school curriculum. While it is taxpayer-funded and tuition-free, it follows a curriculum designed by Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan frequently consulted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on educational issues. The controversy over Michelangelo’s statue is another episode in the escalating U.S. culture wars.
