The city of Florence and the Italian state are furiously fighting over the ownership of Michelangelo’s masterpiece David.
The famous statue has been Florence’s mascot since 1504 when it was put on display at the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of the city ‘s defiance of its foes.
The row between Florence and the government erupted when two Roman lawyers commissioned by Silvio Berlusconi produced what they call conclusive evidence that the renaissance masterpiece belongs not to Florence, but to the Italian state.