A true jewel, the Gipsoteca – a plaster casts gallery – of the Galleria dell’Accademia has recently reopened to the public with a new look, after two and a half years of renovation and fitting-out work.

The plaster casts, restored and cleaned, are enhanced by the light powder blue of the walls, so much so that they seem alive with their stories. The collection consists of over 400 works, including busts, bas-reliefs, monumental sculptures and original models mostly by Lorenzo Bartolini, one of the most important Italian sculptors of the 19th century.

The Gipsoteca is one of the pieces in the renovation process of the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence and “Beyond the David” is the title with which the new setup was presented, underlining the fact that the museum is not only a treasure trove of Michelangelo’s sculpture, which is loved all over the world, but is also a witness to important collections related to Florentine art.