Dante Studies
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The aim of the teaching is to provide students with a thorough understanding of themes and problems central to Dante's poetics and thought, as well as of later interpretations of the writer, through a direct reading of his works and in the light of the most up-to-date acquisitions in criticism.
Expected learning outcomes
Ability to independently read and understand Dante's works, placing them correctly in the context of the period, the author's biography and his thought; knowledge of the current lines and methodologies for the exegesis of Dante's works and for the analysis of their fortune; ability to read the works according to a multiplicity of approaches (philological, literary, linguistic, historical); knowledge of the main bibliographical tools for the study of Dante's works.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Part A (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Readings and interpretations of cantos from the Commedia (Paolo Chiesa)
Part B (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Monarchia: Dante's view of world government (Paolo Chiesa)
Part C (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Mythology in Dante's Comedy (Guglielmo Barucci)
The course is divided into three parts of 20 hours each. Each part of the course awards 3 ECTS.
Part A will offer a multi-voice reading of some significant cantos from the Commedia. Each canto or group of cantos considered will be discussed by a lecturer from the Department or an external expert. The aim is to show different approaches that can be taken in studying the Commedia, as well as providing in-depth knowledge of a series of cantos.
Part B will focus on the reading of Dante's Monarchia (in Italian translation, but with reference to the Latin text). The main issues related to the work (structure, dating, literary genre, manuscript tradition, reception) will be presented and a systematic approach to understanding Dante's political thought will be developed.
Part C will address the problematic issue of the presence and use of pagan mythology in Dante's Comedy. In part C we will analyse as well what sources and instruments medieval culture could use to know mythology and what interpretation it gave of it. Thus, we will study how mythology in the poem helps to define the otherworld reality, the development of the voyager and the profile of the auctor. Likewise, the use of classical mythology will be analysed in relation to the use of biblical tales. Moreover, we will discuss the most important positions in contemporary critics.
Part B (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Monarchia: Dante's view of world government (Paolo Chiesa)
Part C (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Mythology in Dante's Comedy (Guglielmo Barucci)
The course is divided into three parts of 20 hours each. Each part of the course awards 3 ECTS.
Part A will offer a multi-voice reading of some significant cantos from the Commedia. Each canto or group of cantos considered will be discussed by a lecturer from the Department or an external expert. The aim is to show different approaches that can be taken in studying the Commedia, as well as providing in-depth knowledge of a series of cantos.
Part B will focus on the reading of Dante's Monarchia (in Italian translation, but with reference to the Latin text). The main issues related to the work (structure, dating, literary genre, manuscript tradition, reception) will be presented and a systematic approach to understanding Dante's political thought will be developed.
Part C will address the problematic issue of the presence and use of pagan mythology in Dante's Comedy. In part C we will analyse as well what sources and instruments medieval culture could use to know mythology and what interpretation it gave of it. Thus, we will study how mythology in the poem helps to define the otherworld reality, the development of the voyager and the profile of the auctor. Likewise, the use of classical mythology will be analysed in relation to the use of biblical tales. Moreover, we will discuss the most important positions in contemporary critics.
Prerequisites for admission
A basic knowledge of the literary figure of Dante is required, as is generally obtained in the courses of Italian Literature in undergraduate programmes. A general knowledge of the Commedia, its structure, content and literary forms is also required. To this end, the following book is a useful resource for basic preparation: G. Ledda, Leggere la Commedia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016
Teaching methods
Lectures with reading and commentary of passages from Dante's works. For part A, students are required to read in advance the canto (or cantos) that will be covered in the specific lesson (the list and precise schedule will be communicated at the beginning of the course), so that they can be better prepared for the presentation by the teacher and engage in dialogue with him/her.
Frontal teaching is flanked by moments of discussion aimed at increasing the students' critical abilities.
Class attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching material will be uploaded before the start of the course on the myAriel platform.
Frontal teaching is flanked by moments of discussion aimed at increasing the students' critical abilities.
Class attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching material will be uploaded before the start of the course on the myAriel platform.
Teaching Resources
In addition to the bibliography listed below, please note that the materials that will be uploaded to the MyAriel teaching platform are an integral part of the programme.
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students attending the course who are taking the exam for 6 credits must prepare parts A and C of the course. Those taking the exam for 9 credits must prepare all three parts.
Part A (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Readings and interpretations of cantos from the Commedia (Paolo Chiesa)
Reference texts:
Whatever edition of Dante's Commedia (notable editions include those by Giorgio Inglese, Anna Maria Chiavacci Leonardi, Umberto Bosco - Giovanni Reggio, and Roberto Mercuri).
Students are required to be familiar with all the cantos presented during the course, with paraphrases and detailed commentary. Particular emphasis will be placed on the critical aspects of the cantos presented in class.
Part B (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Monarchia: Dante's view of world government (Paolo Chiesa)
Reference texts:
- Dante's Monarchia, in an edition with Latin text and translation side by side. [We recommend the following: Dante, Monarchia, edited by P. Chiesa and A. Tabarroni, with the collaboration of D. Ellero, Rome, Salerno Editrice, 2013 (Nuova Edizione Commentata delle Opere di Dante, vol. IV)].
Critical bibliography:
- La Monarchia, o il libro di tutti gli uomini, in Dante e il mondo, tra realtà e poesia, tra storia e letteratura. Atti del LVIII Convegno storico internazionale, Todi, 10-12 ottobre 2021, Spoleto, CISAM, 2022, pp. 1-19.
- Dante, a cura di R. Rea e J. Steinberg, Roma, Carocci Editore, 2020 (only pages 115-126 and 219-244).
Part C (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Mythology in Dante's Comedy (Guglielmo Barucci)
Reference text:
Whatever edition of Commedia; advised the edition by Roberto Mercuri (Torino, Einaudi, 2021). An anthology of Dante's excerpts including mythology references will be made available at the beginning of the class. Students will be expected to demonstrate a full knowledge of the texts.
Materials uploaded to the myAriel platform are an integral part of the program.
Critical bibliography
- Stefano Carrai, Il viaggio a Beatrice e il mito di Orfeo, in Stefano Carrai, Dante e l'antico. L'emulazione dei classici nella "Commedia", Firenze, Edizioni del Galluzzo per la Fondazione Ezio Franceschini, 2012, pp. 119-131
- Maria Maslanka-Soro, La funzione metapoetica del mito di Giasone nella "Commedia" di Dante, in «Romanica Cracoviensia», 23/3, 2023, pp. 388-410
[https://doi.org/10.4467/20843917RC.23.042.19273]
- Giorgio Padoan, "Dii gentium daemonia": mitologia pagana e demonologia dantesca, in Il lungo cammino del "poema sacro". Studi danteschi, Firenze, Olschki, 1993, pp. 141-156
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students taking the exam for 6 credits are required to know parts B and C of the course, according to the following programme:
Part B (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Monarchia: Dante's view of world government (Paolo Chiesa)
Reference texts:
- Dante's Monarchia, in an edition with Latin text and translation side by side. [We recommend the following: Dante, Monarchia, edited by P. Chiesa and A. Tabarroni, with the collaboration of D. Ellero, Rome, Salerno Editrice, 2013 (Nuova Edizione Commentata delle Opere di Dante, vol. IV)].
Critical bibliography:
- La Monarchia, o il libro di tutti gli uomini, in Dante e il mondo, tra realtà e poesia, tra storia e letteratura. Atti del LVIII Convegno storico internazionale, Todi, 10-12 ottobre 2021, Spoleto, CISAM, 2022, pp. 1-19.
- Dante, a cura di R. Rea e J. Steinberg, Roma, Carocci Editore, 2020 (only pages 115-126 and 219-244).
- I. Costa, The Will of the Empereor and Freedom in the Empire, in Dante as Political Theorist. Reading Monarchia, Cambridge Scholar Publishing 2018, pp. 98-112.
Part C (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Mythology in Dante's Comedy (Guglielmo Barucci)
Reference texts:
Whatever edition of Commedia; advised the edition by Roberto Mercuri (Torino, Einaudi, 2021). An anthology of Dante's excerpts including mythology references will be made available at the beginning of the class. Students will be expected to demonstrate a full knowledge of the texts.
Critical Bibliography:
- Kevin Brownlee, Phaeton's Fall and Dante's Ascent, in «Dante Studies», CII, 1984, pp. 135-144.
- Stefano Carrai, Il viaggio a Beatrice e il mito di Orfeo, in Stefano Carrai, Dante e l'antico. L'emulazione dei classici nella "Commedia", Firenze, Edizioni del Galluzzo per la Fondazione Ezio Franceschini, 2012, pp. 119-131
- Christopher Kleinheinz, Notes on Dante's use of Classica Myths and the Mytographical Tradition in Dante intertestuale e interdisciplinare. Saggi sulla Commedia, Aracne, 2015, pp. 41-49
- Giuseppe Ledda, Semele e Narciso: miti ovidiani della visione nella Commedia di Dante¸ in Gian Mario Anselmi (a cura di), Le Metamorfosi di Ovidio nella letteratura tra Medioevo e Rinascimento, Gedit, 2006, pp. 17-40
- Maria Maslanka-Soro, La funzione metapoetica del mito di Giasone nella "Commedia" di Dante, in «Romanica Cracoviensia», 23/3, 2023, pp. 388-410
[https://doi.org/10.4467/20843917RC.23.042.19273]
- Giorgio Padoan, "Dii gentium daemonia": mitologia pagana e demonologia dantesca, in Il lungo cammino del "poema sacro". Studi danteschi, Firenze, Olschki, 1993, pp. 141-156
Non-attending students taking the exam for 9 CFU credits are also required to know part A of the course, with paraphrases and detailed commentary on all the cantos (or groups of cantos) of the Commedia under study (the list will be published on the MyAriel course website at the beginning of the course).
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Students attending the course who are taking the exam for 6 credits must prepare parts A and C of the course. Those taking the exam for 9 credits must prepare all three parts.
Part A (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Readings and interpretations of cantos from the Commedia (Paolo Chiesa)
Reference texts:
Whatever edition of Dante's Commedia (notable editions include those by Giorgio Inglese, Anna Maria Chiavacci Leonardi, Umberto Bosco - Giovanni Reggio, and Roberto Mercuri).
Students are required to be familiar with all the cantos presented during the course, with paraphrases and detailed commentary. Particular emphasis will be placed on the critical aspects of the cantos presented in class.
Part B (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Monarchia: Dante's view of world government (Paolo Chiesa)
Reference texts:
- Dante's Monarchia, in an edition with Latin text and translation side by side. [We recommend the following: Dante, Monarchia, edited by P. Chiesa and A. Tabarroni, with the collaboration of D. Ellero, Rome, Salerno Editrice, 2013 (Nuova Edizione Commentata delle Opere di Dante, vol. IV)].
Critical bibliography:
- La Monarchia, o il libro di tutti gli uomini, in Dante e il mondo, tra realtà e poesia, tra storia e letteratura. Atti del LVIII Convegno storico internazionale, Todi, 10-12 ottobre 2021, Spoleto, CISAM, 2022, pp. 1-19.
- Dante, a cura di R. Rea e J. Steinberg, Roma, Carocci Editore, 2020 (only pages 115-126 and 219-244).
Part C (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Mythology in Dante's Comedy (Guglielmo Barucci)
Reference text:
Whatever edition of Commedia; advised the edition by Roberto Mercuri (Torino, Einaudi, 2021). An anthology of Dante's excerpts including mythology references will be made available at the beginning of the class. Students will be expected to demonstrate a full knowledge of the texts.
Materials uploaded to the myAriel platform are an integral part of the program.
Critical bibliography
- Stefano Carrai, Il viaggio a Beatrice e il mito di Orfeo, in Stefano Carrai, Dante e l'antico. L'emulazione dei classici nella "Commedia", Firenze, Edizioni del Galluzzo per la Fondazione Ezio Franceschini, 2012, pp. 119-131
- Maria Maslanka-Soro, La funzione metapoetica del mito di Giasone nella "Commedia" di Dante, in «Romanica Cracoviensia», 23/3, 2023, pp. 388-410
[https://doi.org/10.4467/20843917RC.23.042.19273]
- Giorgio Padoan, "Dii gentium daemonia": mitologia pagana e demonologia dantesca, in Il lungo cammino del "poema sacro". Studi danteschi, Firenze, Olschki, 1993, pp. 141-156
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students taking the exam for 6 credits are required to know parts B and C of the course, according to the following programme:
Part B (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Monarchia: Dante's view of world government (Paolo Chiesa)
Reference texts:
- Dante's Monarchia, in an edition with Latin text and translation side by side. [We recommend the following: Dante, Monarchia, edited by P. Chiesa and A. Tabarroni, with the collaboration of D. Ellero, Rome, Salerno Editrice, 2013 (Nuova Edizione Commentata delle Opere di Dante, vol. IV)].
Critical bibliography:
- La Monarchia, o il libro di tutti gli uomini, in Dante e il mondo, tra realtà e poesia, tra storia e letteratura. Atti del LVIII Convegno storico internazionale, Todi, 10-12 ottobre 2021, Spoleto, CISAM, 2022, pp. 1-19.
- Dante, a cura di R. Rea e J. Steinberg, Roma, Carocci Editore, 2020 (only pages 115-126 and 219-244).
- I. Costa, The Will of the Empereor and Freedom in the Empire, in Dante as Political Theorist. Reading Monarchia, Cambridge Scholar Publishing 2018, pp. 98-112.
Part C (20 hrs, 3 ECTS): Mythology in Dante's Comedy (Guglielmo Barucci)
Reference texts:
Whatever edition of Commedia; advised the edition by Roberto Mercuri (Torino, Einaudi, 2021). An anthology of Dante's excerpts including mythology references will be made available at the beginning of the class. Students will be expected to demonstrate a full knowledge of the texts.
Critical Bibliography:
- Kevin Brownlee, Phaeton's Fall and Dante's Ascent, in «Dante Studies», CII, 1984, pp. 135-144.
- Stefano Carrai, Il viaggio a Beatrice e il mito di Orfeo, in Stefano Carrai, Dante e l'antico. L'emulazione dei classici nella "Commedia", Firenze, Edizioni del Galluzzo per la Fondazione Ezio Franceschini, 2012, pp. 119-131
- Christopher Kleinheinz, Notes on Dante's use of Classica Myths and the Mytographical Tradition in Dante intertestuale e interdisciplinare. Saggi sulla Commedia, Aracne, 2015, pp. 41-49
- Giuseppe Ledda, Semele e Narciso: miti ovidiani della visione nella Commedia di Dante¸ in Gian Mario Anselmi (a cura di), Le Metamorfosi di Ovidio nella letteratura tra Medioevo e Rinascimento, Gedit, 2006, pp. 17-40
- Maria Maslanka-Soro, La funzione metapoetica del mito di Giasone nella "Commedia" di Dante, in «Romanica Cracoviensia», 23/3, 2023, pp. 388-410
[https://doi.org/10.4467/20843917RC.23.042.19273]
- Giorgio Padoan, "Dii gentium daemonia": mitologia pagana e demonologia dantesca, in Il lungo cammino del "poema sacro". Studi danteschi, Firenze, Olschki, 1993, pp. 141-156
Non-attending students taking the exam for 9 CFU credits are also required to know part A of the course, with paraphrases and detailed commentary on all the cantos (or groups of cantos) of the Commedia under study (the list will be published on the MyAriel course website at the beginning of the course).
Assessment methods and Criteria
Expected learning outcomes are verified by an individual oral examination. Students will be expected to demonstrate acquired knowledge, ability to organize discourse, and ownership of expression. The possible production of personal critical elaborations (reports or presentations), prepared at the indication of the teachers during the course, enters into the overall grade.
Grade is expressed in thirtieths; the minimum grade of sufficiency is 18/30.
Grade is expressed in thirtieths; the minimum grade of sufficiency is 18/30.
Modules or teaching units
Part A and B
L-FIL-LET/10 - ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Barucci Guglielmo, Chiesa Paolo
Part C
L-FIL-LET/10 - ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor:
Chiesa Paolo
Professor(s)
Reception:
Office hours: wednesday 15.00-18.00, by appointment only. Nevertheless, due to multiple administrative tasks, appointments could be given in other days.
Department of Literary Studies, Philology and Linguistics; sector Modern Philology, 1st floor, via Francesco Sforza