The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze is an academy of arts and drawing in the Italian city of Florence which is also called as Academy of Fine Arts. It is an operative branch of Accademia delle Arti del Disegno which was the first academy of drawing in Europe.The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze was founded by Cosimo I de 'Medici in 1563, under the influence of Giorgio Vasari. The company was like a corporation which was supposed to be joined by every artist working in Tuscan.
But only a few most eminent artists of the Cosimo’s court joined the academy. The institution’s prestige increased due to the great contribution of academics like Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giambologna and many more.It was said that all the members of the Accademia were male, but this changed when Artemisia Gentileschi was welcomed by the Accademia.The Grand Duke of Tuscany, Peter Leopoid , combined all the schools of drawing below one roof and named it as the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze. The Accademia as well as the adjoining galleries still occupy premises that were allotted in Via Ricasoli which was a previous convent and hospice.
The David of Michelangelo is housed in the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze gallery since 1873. The reason behind bringing the sculpture to this gallery was conservation. The main idea was to create a museum with original drawings and paintings of Michelangelo. For celebrating the fourth centenary of Michelangelo’s birth, the Michelangelo Museum was created. Now, the Accademia has a small collection of Michelangelo’s paintings. The gothic paintings of Florence are displayed among the Renaissance paintings of the 15th and 16th century.
The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze has proved to be (a) teaching as well as learning center for some of the most famous artists. In the Accademia, people who studied technical drawing included Galileo and the ones who taught Anatomical drawings included Paolo Mascagni. These people were the members of the Accademia. The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze is now a university for regular studies which introduces many courses with first and second level diploma.
