Michelangelo Buonarroti sculpted his 17-foot tall masterpiece in 1501 from a block of abandoned marble.
It depicted the young future Israeli king at a moment before he slew the giant Goliath with his slingshot.
In 1873, the original was moved to the Accademia delle Belle Arti for protection from the environment.
At its original location in the Piazza della Signoria in front of the Palazzo Vecchio is this 1882 reproduction.