The mayor of Florence said today that it is necessary to invest in a culture based on “wisdom and knowledge” to avoid cases like the teacher who resigned for showing students Michelangelo’s nude statue of David.
David Nardella believes that the lack of education in the liberal arts and tourism, understood only as entertainment, led to extremes, similar to what happened to the headmaster in Florida in the United States, who was forced to resign for showing students an image. famous statue of David by Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
“To think that David is a symbol of pornography is the most stupid thing I have ever heard. Moreover, he is a symbol of rebirth and beauty,” said the mayor in a conversation with the EFE from the Palazzo Vecchio, a few hours after talking with the teacher.
The mayor was in New York to attend a United Nations event when he was ‘surprised’ to learn of a teacher’s resignation after a parent protested that students in a class aged 11 to 12 saw a naked person without censorship.
It is a sculpture completed by Michelangelo in 1504 and displayed in the Accademia Gallery in Florence, where it receives almost two million visitors a year, and a copy of it is displayed for passers-by in Piazza della Signoria, opposite the town hall. .
David Nardella said he had a “long conversation” with the teacher, expressing the “solidarity of the people of Florence” with her.
The council invited teacher Hope Carrasquilla to visit the city and promised to present her with an award for “the courage to not accept an ultimatum given to her and to remain consistent in her commitment to teaching.”
The news of the teacher’s resignation, resonating around the world, has given great prominence to this Italian city, which already welcomes millions of tourists every year, a volume that does not convince the mayor, who claims to be disappointed with tourism based on “consumerism” and “fun”.
“It annoys me a little that tourists come to Florence for a few hours, take pictures and leave without understanding the heritage of the city,” he criticized.
In his opinion, “tourism should not be just entertainment”, considering it necessary to invest in a culture based on “wisdom and knowledge”.
The city recently experienced another insult to one of its monuments when a group of environmental activists painted the façade of the Palazzo Vecchio orange during a protest in broad daylight.
“In this age of specialization, we risk losing sight of the values that underlie modern civilization. And Florence is a fundamental part of this world heritage,” the mayor warned.
“That’s why I think more art history should be taught, especially the Renaissance, and not just in Europe,” he defended, warning: “If we lose sight of culture, we will also fail in areas such as technology, economics and physics. .
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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