2021 marked the 700th Anniversary of the death of Dante, a symbol and icon of Italian culture in the world. Born to a noble in Florence in 1265, Dante lived out his life in various courts finally settling and dying in Ravenna where he is buried.
The Dante statue in front of Santa Croce commemorates his birthplace, the City of Florence. However, he had to exile from the City due to political uprisings and after years of nomadic living in around the City of Florence, Dante settled in Ravenna and lived his last years there.
Dante’s Tomb, Ravenna
Universally recognized as the “Supreme Poet”, Dante was not only a man of letters, a poet and a writer, but also a linguist, a scholar of theology and philosophy and a politician who profoundly influenced the Italian language and literature, which also influencedWestern culture development too.
Seven hundred years have gone past and people are still studying Dante’s greatest work. His greatest masterpiece is undoubtedly the Divine Comedy, a poem divided into three canticles (Hell, Purgatory, Paradise) that symbolises the afterlife journey of redemption undertaken by the poet. It is an itinerary rich in multiple meanings, especially regarding the historical conditions of Dante and his time of a literary-religious nature, an encounter with numerous historical or fictional characters. An invaluable and unparalleled masterpiece, which encapsulates cohesively his political, spiritual and poetic experiences.
Dante’s Divina Commedia was a departure from the Latin language using what is known as “vulgar” language that contributed to the evolution of the Tuscan language to what we know as the “Italian” language. Dante was in fact part of a group of intellectuals rethinking love, language and poetry – the “dolce stil novo” seeking out pleasant sounds and made syntax and rhythm more fluid. Dante then grew from here to develop a slightly different style and philosophy that were reflected in his early work, Vita Nuova, the love story about Beatrice.
The Florence community has organized a year of multi-disciplinary activities ranging from academic conferences, exhibits, dance and more. The whole of 2021 will be full of events and celebrations throughout Italy, especially in the cities where the Poet lived or travelled during his lifetime: Florence, Ravenna, Verona, Rome, Pisa, Arezzo, Bologna, and Forlì.
The Uffizi Galleries and the Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì Foundation have launched ‘Dante. The vision of art ‘, being held in the spaces of the San Domenico Museums of Forlì. Forlì and the Uffizi join forces for the major exhibition dedicated to Dante | Uffizi Galleries
The following features The Uffizi Galleries permanent collection of artwork that depicts Dante and characters in his writings: https://www.uffizi.it/en/online-exhibitions/dante
Domenico Petarlini, Dante in Exile, Gallery of Modern Art, Pitti Palace
Federico Zuccari, Dante at the gates of Hell, GDSU
Also, in early 2021, the Uffizi Galleries launched a virtual exhibition of the illustrations that the late Mannerist artist Federico Zuccari created after Dante’s Divine Comedy. The 88 drawings were created between 1586 and 1588. Zuccari’s drawings were previously bound as a manuscript with the verses transcribed and enhanced by a commentary by the artist. Unlike other artists’ interpretations of Dante, this series was never published or reproduced, the artist kept it to himself until his death.
Here are some suggested online links of interest to learn more about Dante and the 700 celebrations underway in Florence and Ravenna, two very important cities that shaped Dante’s life and writings.
Ravenna Tourism Visitor Video: This is an awesome video highlighting Dante visitor experience in Ravenna, where Dante lived last years of life and is buried. https://youtu.be/dpQ8XXtAMhY
Dante’s Life in Ravenna:
Dante’s Life in Florence:
His birthplace: Museo di Casa di Dante in Florence unveiled a multimedia display showcasing Dante’s life & times: https://www.museocasadidante.it/tour-virtuale/
The words of Dante take us on a timeless journey, that we can relive still today, fully or just in part, tracing his deeds along teh way from Florence to Ravenna. Starting point of this Dante route is the Casa-Museo di Dante, in Via Santa Margherita, in downtown Florence, arrival is the tomb of Dante in downtown Ravenna, the city where Dante ended his exile, completed his writing of the Divine Comedy, and where he died in September 1321.
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