Michelangelo's David could ‘collapse’ due to ‘weak ankles’

Weak ankles leave Michelangelo's statue of the boy warrior David vulnerable to collapse, Italian scientists confirm with new tests, according to the Telegraph.

It is one of the world's most famous statues, representing the Renaissance ideal of the male physique, but Michelangelo's David is in danger of collapsing because of its weak ankles, new tests have revealed.

Italian scientists have found tiny fractures in the statue's ankles which means it is at risk of toppling over.

The tests by the National Research Council and Florence University confirmed what has long been feared – that the celebrated work has been weakened over the centuries by its great weight.

Vibrations caused by the millions of tourists who flock to Florence to see it and the rumbling of passing traffic is thought to have damaged the statue.

The cracks have also been blamed on the fact that for more than a century the 17ft-high, 5.5 tonne statue of the boy warrior leaned at an angle, and also on the poor quality marble from which Michelangelo sculpted it.
 
Read full news story here.