Restoration complete of Donatello’s ‘David’

FLORENCE, Italy – Donatello’s “David” was returned to its original splendor as restorers completed the first cleanup in a century of the bronze statue that is a symbol of the Renaissance.

Restorers said Friday they used new cleaning techniques, including lasers, to remove encrusted dirt and grime from the five-foot statue depicting the biblical hero who slew the giant Goliath.

“The ‘David’ is incomparably more beautiful now than ever before, even though it would seem impossible,” said Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, director of the Bargello museum that hosts the statue.

“We could only intervene now with the newest laser techniques; even the most delicate mechanical procedure would have hurt it,” she said.

Restorers also polished parts of a thin layer of gold that adds shine to the statue.

The $258,000 restoration lasted a year and a half and was partly visible to the public. X-rays and 3-D scan tests were carried out before the restoration.

The statue, considered Donatello’s best, depicts a young David triumphantly stepping on Goliath’s severed head while holding a sword. It is believed to have been made around 1440.

Florence’s other “David” – the marble masterpiece by Michelangelo – was restored in 2004.