Current:Home > ScamsVisitors flock to see Michelangelo's David sculpture after school uproar in Florida-LoTradeCoin
Visitors flock to see Michelangelo's David sculpture after school uproar in Florida
View Date:2024-12-23 21:54:57
FLORENCE, Italy — Visitors flocked to see Michelangelo's David sculpture in Florence on Tuesday, following an uproar over a Florida school's decision to force the resignation of the principal over complaints about a lesson featuring the Renaissance masterpiece.
Tourists, many of them Americans on spring break or studying abroad, posed for selfies in front of the giant marble statue, which features the Biblical David, naked with a sling over his shoulder and a rock in his hand, ready for battle with Goliath.
Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia, which houses the sculpture, reopened Tuesday after its weekly Monday closure, and both tourists and locals alike couldn't get over the controversy.
"It's part of history," said Isabele Joles from Ohio, who is studying French and Italian art with her school group. "I don't understand how you can say it's porn."
She and other visitors were reacting to the decision by Tallahassee Classical School board to pressure Principal Hope Carrasquilla to resign last week after an image of the David was shown to a sixth-grade art class.
Carrasquilla believes the board targeted her after two parents complained because they weren't notified in advance that a nude image would be shown, while a third called the iconic statue, which is considered the height of Renaissance sculpture, pornographic. The school has a policy requiring parents to be notified in advance about "controversial" topics being taught.
Over the weekend, both Florence's mayor and the museum director voiced incredulity over the ruckus and issued invitations for the ousted principal and the school community to come and see the sculpture for themselves.
"We are talking about the roots of Western culture, and 'David' is the height, the height of beauty," museum director Cecilie Hollberg said in an interview Tuesday, as tourists brushed past her snapping selfies with the statue.
The controversy wasn't only a topic of conversation in Florence. On Monday night in Tallahassee, a large crowd showed up for a school board meeting with public comment on the issue of the David statue controversy lasting over an hour, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Some parents and teachers criticized the board and even asked chairman Barney Bishop to step aside.
"Given the dissatisfaction of all these parents with your leadership, would you be willing to lead us by integrity by resigning?" asked teacher Ben Steigner.
Bishop refused, saying he intends to remain as chairman through the end of his term in May and then another year on the board, the newspaper reported. The five trustees are elected by themselves, not the parents, and serve three-year-terms. New Principal Cara Wynn told the school board that nine students had left the school since the David controversy began, but that three had enrolled.
Tallahassee Classical is a charter school. While it is taxpayer-funded and tuition-free, it operates almost entirely independently of the local school district and is sought out by parents seeking an alternative to the public school curriculum. About 400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade attend the three-year-old institution, which is now on its third principal. It follows a curriculum designed by Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan frequently consulted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on educational issues.
The Florida Department of Education, however, has distanced itself from the controversy and the school's decision.
"The Statue of David has artistic and historical value. Florida encourages instruction on the classics and classical art, and would not prohibit its use in instruction," the department said in a statement. "The matter at the Tallahassee Classical School is between the school and an employee, and is not the effect of state rule or law."
At the museum on Tuesday, tourist Brian Stapley from Seattle Washington said he was sad for the school's children.
"It's one of the most incredible parts of our history," he said as he waited on line to get into the museum. "I feel incredibly sorry for the children that don't get to see it."
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
- NFL veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater named head coach at alma mater, Miami Northwestern
- Justin Bieber Returns To The Stage A Year After Canceling World Tour
- Employers added 353,000 jobs in January, blowing past forecasts
- Stressing over Election Day? Try these apps and tools to calm your nerves
- Fani Willis' court filing confirms romantic relationship with lawyer on Trump case but denies any conflict
- Where the jobs are: Strong hiring in most industries has far outpaced high-profile layoffs
- Selena Gomez Shares Intimate Glimpse Into Benny Blanco Romance With Bed Photo
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Red Velvet, Please
- Haley insists she’s staying in the GOP race. Here’s how that could cause problems for Trump
Ranking
- Shawn Mendes Confesses He and Camila Cabello Are No Longer the Closest
- Officers shoot when man with missing girl tries to run over deputies, authorities say
- Ohio Attorney General given until Monday to explain rejection of voting rights amendment to court
- These Are the Climate Grannies. They’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Protect Their Grandchildren
- Maine dams face an uncertain future
- Tom Hollander remembers late 'Feud' co-star Treat Williams: 'We haven't really mourned him'
- NPR's Student Podcast Challenge is back – with a fourth-grade edition!
- Justin Timberlake's apology to 'nobody', Britney Spears' Instagram post fuel a fan frenzy
Recommendation
-
Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
-
Joel Embiid set to miss more games with meniscus injury, 76ers say
-
Hamas considers hostage, prisoner deal; Israeli military turns toward Rafah: Live updates
-
You Won't Believe What Austin Butler Said About Not Having Eyebrows in Dune 2
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
13-year-old boy fatally shot man whose leg was blocking aisle of bus, Denver police say
-
New California Senate leader says his priorities are climate change, homelessness and opioid crises
-
Carl Weathers, linebacker-turned-actor who starred in 'Rocky' movies, dies at 76