“Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.  I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”         -Michelangelo

At first glance the statue of David overwhelms you. Standing 17 ft tall of the floor of the Accademia Gallery, makes you feel small. It is difficult to believe that a twenty-six-year-old painter and sculptor named Michelangelo would be able to create such a marvelous masterpiece.

Michelangelo’s creation derives from the biblical story of David and Goliath. His sculpture of David reveals the precise moment that the young shepherd is getting ready to begin his battle with the giant Goliath. First, he envisioned the figure of this young athlete within a huge block of marble and then proceeded with a mere chisel and hammer to extract it, freeing it.

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“To the gods we attributed a dazzling existence 

Consubstantial with the sea the clouds trees and light 

In them the waves’ glinting the foam’s long white frieze 

The woods’ secret and soft green the wheat’s tall gold 

The river’s meandering the mountain’s solemn fire 

And the great dome of resonant weightless free air 

Emerged as self-aware consciousness 

With no loss of the first day’s marriage-and-feast oneness 

Anxious to have this experience for ourselves 

We humans repeated the ritual gestures that re-establish 

The initial whole presence of things – 

This made us attentive to all forms known by the light of day 

As well as to the darkness which lives within us And in which the ineffable shimmer travels 

The Greeks”

–  Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen an award-winning Portuguese poet and writer.

“Lisbon’s many nooks and crannies are home to numerous attractions that continue to surprise and seduce visitors. The city’s charm lies in its inspiring architecture, enchanting squares and Moorish legacy.” … DK Eyewitness travel.

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