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With Dante Alighieri and His Divine Comedy Marinellalizza@Yahoo.It Marinella Lizza with Dante Alighieri and his Divine Comedy [email protected] http://marinellalizza.blogspot.com Meet Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (Florence, 1265 – Ravenna, 1321), was an Italian poet, writer and politician. His Divine Comedy is considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. The Divine Comedy In 100 cantos, Dante describes his journey through Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise. It ends with the vision of God. Dante also describes many places in Florence. Dante and his poem, fresco by Domenico di Michelino, s. Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Florence (1465) How was Florence? In 1250, before Dante's birth, Florence was divided into six areas called sestieri. Every area got its “Capitano del Popolo” (People's Captain). 1 - S. Piero a Scheraggio 2 - Borgo 3 - S. Brancazio 4 - Duomo 5 - S. Piero 6 - Oltrarno Florence before Dante Paradiso, XVI, 46-48 “Tutti color ch'a quel tempo eran ivi [...] erano il quinto di quei ch'or son vivi” “All those who at that time were there between [...] Were a fifth part of those who now are living” In the central cantos of his Paradise, Dante meets one of his ancestors, Cacciaguida (1091-1148). Cacciaguida describes Florence's population as it was at his times; the inhabitants were a fifth part of those who were living in Florence in Dante's time. Florins and lily Inferno, XXX, 89 “m'indussero a batter li fiorini” “They did induce me into coining florins” Florin was the official coin of Florence. It was created in 1252. Its name derives from the latin “flos,” “lily” (the lily is Florence's symbol). The “Bargello” The Bargello, whose construction started in 1255, was also called “Palace of the People” or “Podestà's Palace”. “My beatiful St. John” Inferno, XIX, 16-18 “Non mi parean [i fori] men ampi né maggiori che que' che son nel mio bel San Giovanni, fatti per loco de' battezzatori” To me less ample seemed they not, nor greater Than those that in my beautiful Saint John Are fashioned for the place of the baptisers The Baptistry of St. John, in front of the Duomo Cathedral (S. Maria del Fiore). In 1576, the Baptistry mentioned by Dante was replaced by a new one. Piazza del Duomo Piazza del Duomo: the Cathedral, Giotto's Campanile, the Baptistry. The Cathedral was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio (1245-1302) and was completed in 1436. The Campanile was designed by Giotto; when Giotto died (1337), only the lower part of the Campanile had been completed. Politics Paradiso, XVI, 140-141 “o Buondelmonte, quanto mal fuggisti le nozze süe per li altrui conforti!” “O Buondelmonte, how in evil hour Thou fled'st the bridal at another's promptings!” In the XIII century, Florence was divided between two political parties: guelfi (guelphs), supporters of the Pope, and ghibellini (ghibellines), supporters of the Emperor. In 1289, in the battle of Campaldino, the guelfi won against the ghibellini. According to Dante, the fights started when Buondelmonte broke his engagement with a girl of the Amidei family and chose a girl of the Donati. The Amideis killed him, out of revenge. Ponte Vecchio and Buondelmonte According to Dante, Buondelmonte was killed in a place close to Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio (“Old Bridge”) is one of Florence's symbols and one of the most famous bridges of the world. It's on the Arno river at its most narrow point. Dante's political position Paradiso, XVII, 68-69 “............a te fia bello averti fatta parte per te stesso” ................so 'twill be well for thee A party to have made thee by thyself In Florence, the guelfi were divided into white guelphs (led by the Cerchi family) and black guelphs (led by the Donati family). Dante joined the whites, but when he was damned to the exile, he left them too. So Dante remained politically insulated. It was a tough choice, because he lost any kind of support, but he did it because he didn't approve the violent methods that the whites were willing to use to get back their power and their position in Florence. Black or White? The fights between Cerchis and Donatis were very violent. Their houses in Florence were close and a narrow street (Scandal's alley) was created in order to keep them separated. “Scandal's Alley” “Will come to bloodshed” Inferno, VI, 64-65 “.....Dopo lunga tencione / “.....They, after long contention, verranno al sangue.......”. Will come to bloodshed.......” With these words Dante describes the violent fight between whites and blacks in Piazza Santa Trinita (1st May, 1300). Dante and Beatrice When he was 9 years old, Dante saw Beatrice for the first time. He met her in the Badia Fiorentina, one of the most ancient churches of Florence, in the city center. Dante and Beatrice: their second meeting Dante meets Beatrice again nine years later, on the Santa Trinita bridge. Painting (1883) by Henry Holiday (1839 - 1927) Ponte Vecchio as you can see it from Santa Trinita Bridge. Dante and Gemma Dante married Gemma Donati. Their marriage was arranged basing on political reasons, to create a bonding between different political parties. Marriage and love didn't always go together, at the time. The wedding took place in the Church of St. Martin (S. Martino al Vescovo). Beatrice's tomb Beatrice died when she was 24 years old. Dante meets her again in the afterlife: Beatrice is his guide in Paradise. Beatrice's tomb is in the Church of St. Margaret (Santa Margherita de' Cerchi). Dante's church The entrance of the Church of St. Margaret (S. Margherita de' Cerchi); it's called Dante's Church, because Dante was known to attend it. Brunetto Latini's tomb Inferno, XV, 83-85 “la cara e buona imagine paterna di voi quando nel mondo ad ora ad ora m'insegnavate come l'uom s'etterna” “the dear and good paternal image of you, when in the world from hour to hour You taught me how a man becomes eternal” Brunetto Latini (1220-1294/1295) was Dante's mentor; he was a writer, a poet, a politician. His tomb is in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore “The just are two” Inferno, VI, 73-75 “Giusti son due, e non vi sono intesi; superbia, invidia e avarizia sono le tre faville c'hanno i cuori accesi” “The just are two, and are not understood there; Envy and Arrogance and Avarice Are the three sparks that have all hearts enkindled” In these verses, Dante describes Florence's political situation. Florence was already an important city in Dante's time, with thousands of inhabitants. Saying the the just were (only) two, Dante says that – more or less – none was honest in Florence. It's a very bitter comment. Dante himself was a politician. Let's see the most important political places of Florence. Signoria Square (Piazza della Signoria) was the site of the Uberti houses. The Ubertis were a ghibelline family whose homes were destroyed by the guelphs. Dante and Farinata degli Uberti Inferno, X, 22-24 “O Tosco che per la città del foco vivo ten vai così parlando onesto, piacciati di restare in questo loco” “O Tuscan, thou who through the city of fire Goest alive, thus speaking modestly, Be pleased to stay thy footsteps in this place” In the Inferno, Dante meets Farinata Uberti, member of one of Florence's most ancient ghibelline families. Although Dante was a guelph, he acknowledges Farinata's political qualities. Palazzo Vecchio Palazzo Vecchio was used for comunal assemblies. It was also the Palace of the Arts. Dante joined the Art of “Doctors and Pharmacists.” The Arts were like “lobbies.” Dante wasn't actually a doctor, but the Art of Doctors and Pharmacists was a powerful and prestigious one, so he joined it. The Palace was built in different phases; the first phase lasted from 1299 to 1314. The exile and Dante's death Paradiso, XVII, 55-57 “Tu lascerai ogne cosa diletta più caramente; e questo è quello strale che l'arco de lo essilio pria saetta” “Thou shalt abandon everything beloved/ Most tenderly, and this the arrow is/ Which first the bow of banishment shoots forth” In 1302 In 1302, Dante was damned to exile. He never came back to Florence and he is now buried in Ravenna. In Santa Croce, where there are the tombs of many important citizens of Florence, there's a statue of Dante. Today, in Dante Alighieri street In the heart of Florence, in Dante Alighieri street, we can see Dante's house and the Chestnut tower. The Chestnut tower The Chestnut tower was already built in 1038; it was used for political meetings before the Bargello's construction. It's called “Chestnut” because Chestnuts were used to vote. It's in front of Dante's house but... ...is it actually Dante's house? Traditionally, it was thought to be Dante's house, but more recent studies showed that, instead, Dante's house was close to it, but now doesn't exist anymore. Dante's house was supposed to be in a building very close to the Chestnut tower. Dante's house http://www.divinecomedy.org/divine_comedy.html English Edition of The Divine Comedy, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I'd like to thank my friend Susan, who helped me with the English translation. Dante and Beatrice have inspired a novel: Gabriel's Inferno, by Sylvain Reynard http://www.sylvainreynard.com/ It's a modern love story -- but also a story about love for literature.
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