Later history
Where was the replica of the David statue placed?
David (Michelangelo)
In 1873 the statue of David was removed from the piazza, to protect it from damage, and displayed in the Accademia Gallery, Florence, where it attracts many visitors. A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria in 1910. In 1991, a man attacked the statue with a hammer he had concealed beneath his jacket, in the process damaging the toes of the left foot, before being restrained. On 12 November 2010, a fiberglass replica of the "David" was installed on the roofline of Florence Cathedral, for one day only. Photographs of the installation reveal the statue the way the "Operai" who commissioned the work originally expected it to be seen. In 2010, a dispute over the ownership of David arose when, based on a legal review of historical documents, the Italian Culture Ministry claimed ownership of the statue in opposition to the city of Florence, where it has always been located. Florence disputes the state claim.