Famous Michelangelo sculpture back in the U.S.
Dec. 13 - Italy brings Michelangelo's famed David Apollo to Washington to kick-off a year-long celebration of Italian culture in the U.S. Elly Park reports.
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After more than 6 decades, Michelangelo's David Apollo is back in the United States. The famous unfinished sculpture was presented by Italy's Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. SOUNDBITE: Giulio Terzi, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, saying (English) "Michelangelo's David Apollo is a true masterpiece, but perhaps more significantly it is also a symbol of the strong historical ties and the deep friendship between the United States and Italy." Terzi is referring to the last time the work was loaned to the U.S. in 1949 when 800,000 visitors saw it during president Harry Truman's inaugural reception. Fast forward 62 years and David Apollo will be seen by a new generation of art lovers on the National Mall during the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The sculpture will remain in the United States until March 3 of 2013, and is kicking off the year ofItalian culture in the United States.