Even world-famous sculptures need a wash behind their ears every now and then. And Michelangelo''s David is set to have a seven month-long public bath.

　　Restorers at Florence''s Galleria dell''Accademia will begin wiping away 129 years of dirt and grime from the Renaissance marble statue on Monday.

　　It is the first time the five-metre (16 foot) nude has been cleaned since it was movedsintosthe gallery in 1873 to protect it from weather and pollution.

　　The clean-up is expected to cost about 100,000 pounds and visitors to the gallery will be able to watch the work.

　　David, carved from a single block of marble from 1501 to 1504, depicts the biblical hero who killed Goliath. It established Michelangelo as the foremost sculptor of his time at the age of 29.