The Genie of Victory

The sculpture, originally meant for the funeral monument of pope Giulius II Della Rovere, was donated to Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1564, after Michelangelo's death, by his nephew Leonardo. The statue was therefore placed in the Sala grande of Palazzo Vecchio and is identified with an allegory of Victory, a symbol of the recent conquest of Siena by Florence. Photo: Simone Lampredi