Short answers, pulled from the story.
Michelangelo received the official contract on the 16th of August 1501. The agreement allowed him two years to complete the sculpture and provided a monthly salary of six fiorini.
The original marble statue has been displayed at Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia since 1873. A replica stands in the Piazza della Signoria where the original was installed in June 1504.
Michelangelo used the subbia, calcagnuolo, gradina, and trapano tools to shape the marble. He did not use flat chisels and relied on toothed chisels to bring the piece to its final state.
Officials moved the statue to the Accademia Gallery to protect it from weather damage and vandalism. The original location exposed the sculpture to stones thrown by protesters and riots.
The marble block known as il gigante sat neglected for twenty-five years before Michelangelo began carving. Agostino di Duccio started the work in 1464 but halted it after his master Donatello died in 1466.
The finished statue measures 5.17 metres in height and weighs approximately 8.5 tons. It stands nine braccia in length and was originally intended for the cathedral roofline.