In the final chapter of Tallahassee Classical School’s unlikely turn in the spotlight of world newsHope Carrasquilla, the former Florida Christian school principal who was ousted after parents complained about her lesson containing Michelangelo images David (1501-04) was “pornographic”, traveled to Florence to see the statue in person.
At the end of March, the mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, and Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia, where the Renaissance masterpiece lives, Carrasquilla guest view the work as a guest of honour. Friday, April 28, after many phone conversations and email exchanges with Hollberg, Carrasquilla arrived to view the statue with her husband and two children.
“It is an immense pleasure to have Ms. Carrasquilla as a guest at the Accademia Gallery in Florence,” Hollberg said in a statement. “I am delighted to welcome him and introduce him to the magnificence of our museum, as well as to introduce him personally David, a sculpture that I repeat has nothing to do with pornography. It is a masterpiece representing a religious symbol of purity and innocence, the triumph of good over evil. His nudity is an outward manifestation of Renaissance thought, which viewed man as the center of the universe. People from all over the world, including many Americans, make the pilgrimage every year to admire it. Currently, more than 50% of visitors come from the United States. I am certain that Mrs Carrasquilla will receive the welcome and solidarity she deserves here in Florence.
Carrasquilla was also delighted with the visit. “What impressed me the most that I didn’t know was that this whole gallery was built for him,” she said in a statement. “I think it’s beautiful, it looks like a church. And to me, it really represents the purity of that figure and you see his humanity. And that’s what I’ve always loved. There’s no nothing wrong with the human body per se.”
The story of Carrasquilla’s ousting last month captured international attention and served as a lightning rod for a swirling set of issues in America’s culture wars. The fallout from his dismissal epitomizes the politicization and polarization in the country’s education sector. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis campaigned to make education “anti-wake-up”, largely encouraging outcry and opposition. Following the scandal, the Florida Department of Education released a statement stating that Michelangelo David “has artistic and historical value”.
