Extra Credit Reading: Dante's Inferno

In Canto XVII of Inferno, Dante explicitly attacked then Pope Boniface VIII with this passage: “As the Sicilian bull, that rightfully his cries first echoed who had shaped its mould did so rebellow with the voice of him tormented. That the brazen monster seemed pierced through with pain; thus, while no way they found nor avenue immediate through the flame into its language turned the dismal words: But as soon as they had won their passage forth, up from the point, which vibrating obeyed their motion at the tongue, these sounds were heard: ‘O thou, to whom I now direct my voice, that lately didst exclaim Lombard phase, ‘Depart though; I solicit thee no more.” His anger resounded throughout excerpts of Inferno, dwelling on his hatred of Boniface VIII. Alighieri opposed the reign of Boniface heavily, grudgingly manifesting his fury at being expelled from Florence by him, thinking him unworthy of ruling because of his widespread corruption and apparent incompetency. Dante wrote letters and papers asking the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VII of Luxembourg, to destroy all Papal influence and eradicate the Black Guelphs so he could come back to Florence. The Black Guelphs were a political faction that thought the Papacy should rule supreme and above all else, even the common rights of man. This led to the inner conflicts amongst the Guelphs that would eventually result in the exilation of Dante Alighieri and his fellow White Guelphs. 

Dante’s exile was perhaps the most impactful event on the writing of the Divina Commedia, truly influencing the way he structured and themed his pieces, as seen in this quote from Canto XVI of Paradiso: “As forth from Athens went Hippolytus, by reason of his step-dame, false and cruel, so thou from Florence must perforce depart. Thou shall abandon everything beloved most tenderly, and this the arrow is which first the bow of banishment shoots forth. Thou shalt have proof how savoureth of salt, the bread of others, and how hard a road, the going down and up another's stairs. And that which shall most weigh upon thy shoulders will be the bad and foolish company with which into this valley thou shalt fall..." Dante is truly hurt by the exilation of himself from his home, Florence. From the time of exile to his death, he attempts to rally the White Guelphs to take the city back, but to no avail. He never again got to lay his eyes upon the Florentine buildings, and his sadness echoes throughout the Commedia. He never recovers from the pain, and dies without knowing if he made a mark on his home, his people, or the world.

Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy

Image below is a Guelph family's coat of arms