Having successfully completed the monument Hero in Bryant Park, New York, our workshop was commissioned with a larger version: the Hero of Florence.  Inspired by Michelangelo's David, the Hero stands at the same height (17 feet /5 meters), and was created with the same marble.  This carefully selected material was meticulously fabricated and engineered, with over 170 different pieces shaped and assembled with exact tolerances. To achieve proper balance and proportion, our programmers went through many levels of computer generated modeling to ensure symmetry, balance and structural integrity. The installation of this 5.5-ton piece was done with precise execution, determining exact pick points to safeguard the proper engagement of each heavy segment. 

The Florentine Hero was installed at the Accademia Gallery on May 1, 2015, as a tribute to Michelangelo’s David.  The museum welcomes 1.3 million visitors per year, second only to the Vatican.  Angelo Tartuferi, Director of the Accademia Gallery, Florence, observes: “Saracino’s new edition of Hero nods to Michelangelo’s David, defender of the city of Florence as a contemporary civic champion who offers protection and surveillance, also suggesting a long history of vulnerability spanning centuries, politics, and cultures.”