World culture: Florence marks the 450 anniversary of the death of Michelangelo

Florence authorities announced plans for events, dedicated to the 450th anniversary of the death of Michelangelo and the founding of the Accademia delle Belle Arti that houses his David sculpture. This is reported by the Italian information agency ANSA.

Michelangelo Buonarroti died on February 18, 1564, at the venerable age of 89. The year before, Cosimo I de' Medici founded the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, known by its current title as the Accademia delle Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts). The city marks these anniversaries with a two-year cultural program including exhibitions and an international conference dedicated to Michelangelo.

The program opens on January 30, 2013, at the Accademia, which will be entirely open to the public for the first time.

Though not of Florentine origin, Michelangelo spent his formative years studying and working in the Tuscan city before moving to Venice, Bologna and then finally Rome. However he returned to the city and created his most famous work, David, as well as several other important commissions while he was there.