Florence Considers Moving David

FLORENCE—The city of Florence is considering relocating Michelangelo's David in an effort to ease congestion in its city center, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Some 11 million tourists come to Florence each year to see David and other attractions, filling the city streets and damaging ancient structures. "Florence has reached an unsustainable level of tourists," said Tuscany's top cultural official, Paolo Cocchi. "The actual site of David in the center of town is logistically unfortunate. It would be beneficial for everyone to move it so that the tourist area can be enlarged and decongested." The city is also planning to build tram lines to reduce car traffic.

The 14-foot marble statue, from the early 16th century, has stood in the Galleria dell'Accademia since 1873, when it was moved indoors to protect it from the weather. The theater to which David would be relocated is not slated for completion until 2010-11. "I believe that the response to the problems of mass tourism requires study and analysis," said Mayor Leonardo Domenici. "Everything is up for discussion and everything has its time."