\paperw4290 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 Founded in Florence by Giorgio Vasari in 1563, the Galleria dellÆAccademia was the first Academy of Arts created in Europe. It brought
together the greatest artists of the time so that they would be able to compare their work and exchange views on art without any didactic intent. Due to the reforms carried out by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany, the Accademia was also used to sta
ge exhibitions in a building that formed part of a monumental complex that from then on housed the museum, the academy of study, the Musical Conservatory and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, or Workshop of Semiprecious Stones.\par
The nucleus of valuable
works formed by the Medicean collections and from suppressed monasteries and ecclesiastic institutions was enriched in 1873 by MichelangeloÆs \i David\i0 , which was removed from its location in front of Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria for con
servation reasons. \par
Since then, the entire gallery has been identified with this masterpiece although it also contains precious tapestries, important works from the Florentine Renaissance, such as MichelangeloÆs \i Prisoners\i0 , and one of the most
extensive collections of paintings on gold ground in the world.