Michelangelo's David at risk from collapsing

(the original statue of David)

The most famous sculpture of Rennaisance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti risks collapsing, BBC reports.

The statue of David is showing signs of micro-fractures in its legs and researchers warn it could collapse under its own weight.

The carved tree stump behind David's right leg, which bears most of its weight, may also have cracks, recent findings show.

The 5.5 ton and 5m statue has already undergone restoration, but these fractures keep reappearing.

Researchers suspect these developed while David was on display for more than three centuries in the city's main square, leaning forward at a dangerous angle.

David's replica in front of the Vecchio Palace (Photo: Aleksandar Parezanović)

The statue was already fragile because of the poor-quality marble Michelangelo chose for his masterpiece, as well as its great weight and off-centre pose.

It's been suggested an earthquake, or even road construction, could cause it to topple, and that David should be moved either to a quake-proof room, or to a new site outside the city.