Divine Comedy from the Biblioteca Angelica in Rome

Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) became one of the most important authors of world literature with his primary work, the Divine Comedy. Originating in the early Trecento and completed in the year 1321, the Divine Comedy is one of the most important works of world literature with exceptional significance for Italian literary history. The tale, in the course of which the author himself travels through hell, purgatory, and paradise, enjoyed an extensive reception and has influenced men of letters, artists, and other creative types up to today.

An Incomplete Masterpiece

The 34 miniatures, which adorn the manuscript from the Biblioteca Angelica in Rome, make this a true jewel of art history. A master of illumination from Bologna – the names Simone dei Crocefissi, Oderisi da Gubbio, and Franco Bolognese have been discussed in the field of research – created the illustrated artwork, which accompanies the tale of the Inferno. Since the codex has remained incomplete, many places where miniatures were supposed to have been inserted later, remain white in the text of Purgatory and Paradise. Nonetheless, the 34 scenes presented are completely sufficient to land the codex an outstanding place in the history of Dante illustrations.

Elegant Exemplary Compositions

Rectangular narrow red frames surround these gorgeous miniatures on a gold background. These are integrated respectively into one of the two columns in which the text is arranged. Only the opening scene is depicted in a broader miniature. Elegant compositions accompany each section of the Inferno, synoptically illustrating the content and presenting the figures and episodes of the story. Furthermore, blue and red initials adorn the text, sometimes designed with the finest ornamentation. Therefore, the manuscript represents an outstanding example of Bolognese illumination in the Trecento. The high quality and creative décor of the manuscript shaped some significant iconographic standards of Dante illustration.

Dante’s Work and its Immediate Reception

Alongside this inestimable artistic content, the literary content of the manuscript should not be underestimated. Aside from Dante’s Divina Commedia, the codex also contains the commentaries by Jacopo Alighieri and Bosone da Gubbio with the title Capitolo Sulla Commedia, in addition to a fragment of the poem by Gualterus de Castellione about Alexander the Great. Thus, the codex is simultaneously a demonstration of the grandiose interest that Dante’s work enjoyed shortly after its creation.