The Accademia Gallery in Florence is a must-see for art lovers, famed as the home of Michelangelo’s David. Visitors enter through the Hall of the Prisoners, where his unfinished “Slaves” seem to emerge from marble, revealing his belief that figures existed within the stone. At the hall’s end stands the magnificent David, over 5 metres tall, carved in Michelangelo’s twenties, symbolising Florence’s strength and defiance. The museum also houses an exceptional collection of 15th- and 16th-century Florentine paintings by masters like Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Orcagna, and Pontormo, reflecting the city’s rich Renaissance spirit.