If you have a passion for history and the arts then your holiday to Tuscany wouldn't be complete without including a fascinating trail in the footsteps of Italy’s famous writer, Dante Alighieri! He is referred to as ‘Il Sommo Poeta’, The Supreme Poet or as ‘The Father of the Italian Language’.
His enormous contribution to establishing Italian as a language in its own right as well creating one of the greatest literary masterpieces in the world has earned him a worthy mention as one of Tuscany’s finest creative masters.
Tourists wishing to spend their Tuscan holiday here have a lavish selection of stylish apartments and luxury villas in Florence to choose from.
There is so much to do and see here relating to the intriguing life and work of Dante as well as many other masters of the arts which are mentioned in related articles.
Weave around the sites in the city of Florence where Dante was born! It was here that he firmly established his name in the literary world and fell deeply in love with the creativity of this Renaissance city.
His enormous contribution to establishing Italian as a language in its own right as well creating one of the greatest literary masterpieces in the world has earned him a worthy mention as one of Tuscany’s finest creative masters.
Tourists wishing to spend their Tuscan holiday here have a lavish selection of stylish apartments and luxury villas in Florence to choose from.
There is so much to do and see here relating to the intriguing life and work of Dante as well as many other masters of the arts which are mentioned in related articles.
Weave around the sites in the city of Florence where Dante was born! It was here that he firmly established his name in the literary world and fell deeply in love with the creativity of this Renaissance city.
Dante was born in Florence in 1265 and grew up with a burning passion for learning about politics and literature. He went on to write many famous poems and books, his most famous being ‘The Divine Comedy’.
This is one of the longest and most elaborate poems ever written and it tells the story of Dante’s descent into the nine levels of Hell, his journey up the excruciating mountain of Puragtory and finally, his glimpse at the beauty of Paradise.
Why not begin the trail in Dante’s footsteps in Florence with a trip to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Via Cerretani where there is a plaque commemorating Dante’s meeting with his master, Brunetto Latini as mentioned in his ‘Inferno’ book of the Divine Comedy Trilogy. Latini’s tomb is located here and is available for tourists to view.
Then head to the decorative baptistery church in Piazza San Giovanni where there are two plaques hung here in Dante’s honour. One is to commemorate his baptism here and the other is to acknowledge the sorrow that he suffered when he was banished from the city of Florence. He was unfairly exiled because of his loose political alliance with a branch of the Medici Speziali Guild who was branded as traitors for ‘rebel’ activities.
This is one of the longest and most elaborate poems ever written and it tells the story of Dante’s descent into the nine levels of Hell, his journey up the excruciating mountain of Puragtory and finally, his glimpse at the beauty of Paradise.
Why not begin the trail in Dante’s footsteps in Florence with a trip to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Via Cerretani where there is a plaque commemorating Dante’s meeting with his master, Brunetto Latini as mentioned in his ‘Inferno’ book of the Divine Comedy Trilogy. Latini’s tomb is located here and is available for tourists to view.
Then head to the decorative baptistery church in Piazza San Giovanni where there are two plaques hung here in Dante’s honour. One is to commemorate his baptism here and the other is to acknowledge the sorrow that he suffered when he was banished from the city of Florence. He was unfairly exiled because of his loose political alliance with a branch of the Medici Speziali Guild who was branded as traitors for ‘rebel’ activities.
Visit Via Santa Margherita, where Museo Casa di Dante is situated, with three floors explaining the life and times of Dante Alighieri. This is believed to have been the house where the great poet himself was born! In the nearby Santa Margherita de' Cerchi church, you will find the tomb of Beatrice Portinari. This was the love of Dante’s life but tragically, they couldn’t be together as Dante was arranged to marry another.
There is a basket beside her tomb where letters of tormented stories of forbidden love are placed by those who pray for Beatrice to grant them happiness and peace in their quest for romance.
Outside Santa Croce church nearby, there is a magnificent marble statue of Dante Alighieri dating from 1829. On the 1st June every year, the people of Florence celebrate the memory of this captivating man so tourists are guaranteed to learn plenty more about Dante’s life and work as they join in the celebrations!
Finally, a wonderful end to a wonderful day of trailing in the footsteps of Dante would be to visit Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria where his death mask is displayed.
This was an eerie yet common practice back in the times of Dante; when famous people died, a cast was made of their faces and made into an exact contour replica to produce a death mask. These were often placed in museums and galleries for tourists to match a face with the work of that person.
This trail in the footsteps of Dante would be an excellent cultural addition to you Tuscan holiday! Read through our other Renaissance Master articles that detail the life and times of other famous artists, writers and storytellers that were born and bred in Tuscany!
There is a basket beside her tomb where letters of tormented stories of forbidden love are placed by those who pray for Beatrice to grant them happiness and peace in their quest for romance.
Outside Santa Croce church nearby, there is a magnificent marble statue of Dante Alighieri dating from 1829. On the 1st June every year, the people of Florence celebrate the memory of this captivating man so tourists are guaranteed to learn plenty more about Dante’s life and work as they join in the celebrations!
Finally, a wonderful end to a wonderful day of trailing in the footsteps of Dante would be to visit Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria where his death mask is displayed.
This was an eerie yet common practice back in the times of Dante; when famous people died, a cast was made of their faces and made into an exact contour replica to produce a death mask. These were often placed in museums and galleries for tourists to match a face with the work of that person.
This trail in the footsteps of Dante would be an excellent cultural addition to you Tuscan holiday! Read through our other Renaissance Master articles that detail the life and times of other famous artists, writers and storytellers that were born and bred in Tuscany!
