Michelangelo created David from a single block of marble between 1501 and 1504.

A prominent figure in Florence, Michelangelo—who was only 26 years old at the time—was commissioned to carve the sculpture as one in a series that would line the roof of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (“Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower”). Once the 6-ton piece was completed, however, it was clear that it would be nearly impossible to lift. Thus, it was decided that David would instead be placed in the Palazzo della Signoria, where it stood as a symbol of strength and defiance from 1504 until its permanent relocation to the Galleria dell'Accademia in 1873.