Thaindian News

London, Mar 5 (ANI): Michelangelo’s statue of David is at risk of collapsing due to the construction of a high-speed railway line beneath Florence.

The statue is riddled with tiny cracks, particularly in the ankles of the boy warrior, and could collapse as a result of vibrations from the 1.4 billion euro project, which is due to start in the summer, reports the Telegraph.

The threat of serious damage being done to one of the world’s most famous statues has prompted calls for it to be moved to a purpose-built museum away from the construction work.

“The tunnel will pass about 600 meters (2,000ft) from the statue of David, the ankles of which, it is well known, are riddled with micro-fissures. If it’s not moved before digging begins, there is a serious risk that it will collapse,” said Fernando De Simone, an expert in underground engineering.

The cracks in the marble are mostly in David’s left ankle and in the carved tree stump which bears part of the statue’s weight.

They are thought to have developed because for more than a century the statue leant at an angle, and because the marble used in the statue was not of a high standard.

De Simone said the 17ft high statue was already under intense strain because of vibrations caused by the 1.5 million tourists who troop through Florence’s Accademia Gallery each year to see the work, and due to traffic in the streets surrounding the building.

“The risk of collapse… will be very high if the resonance caused by excavation machinery for the high-speed train tunnel, as well as the vibrations of passing trains, are added to existing vibrations caused by visitors,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vittorio Sgarbi, a prominent Italian art critic, called for the train tunnel project to be shelved entirely.

“Our heritage should come before everything else. The excavation work should not go ahead,” he said. (ANI)