Fortrinnsrett: Billetter til Accademia-galleriet i Firenze

Use your skip-the-line Accademia Gallery ticket to bypass the entrance lines, and head straight inside to discover some of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance at your own pace. Formerly a 14th-century hospital then a fine art school, the Accademia Gallery now showcases incredible works of art by the likes of Botticelli, Andrea Orcagna and, of course, Michelangelo himself.

Take a look at Michelangelo’s unfinished San Matteo, a sculpture that he was commissioned to create before he left Florence for Rome. His Prigioni is located nearby, so wander over and gaze at the four unfinished sculptures of prisoners or slaves that seem to be trying to escape from the blocks of marble that encase them.

Impressive as they are, the Accademia Gallery’s unfinished sculptures pale in comparison to the museum’s main crowd-drawer: Michelangelo’s statue of David. Stand and look at the 17-foot (5.17-meter) marble statue of the biblical hero, marveling at the level of detail that the young Michelangelo put into the famously nude warrior.

Adjacent to the statue are rooms containing paintings by other famous Renaissance artists like Botticelli and Filippino Lippi, as well as artists from both the Middle Ages and 17th-century. Amble through a room containing 19th-century plaster sculptures and visit the on-site Museum of Musical Instruments, where an intriguing collection of stringed instruments are exhibited.

How long you spend inside the gallery is up to you; many visitors find that two hours is sufficient.