This book shows how Dante Alighieri has been represented in the Italian collective imagination from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Often held to be a precursor of Italian unity, the author of the Divine Comedy has been put forward both as a standard-bearer of a secular, anti-clerical Italy and the embodiment of the concept of a deeply religious and Catholic nation; while he was later adopted by nationalist and fascists as well as a pop icon in the age of the internet and globalization.
The book describes this long and fascinating history from a completely original point of view: the centuries-old myth of Dante is analysed from the perspective of cultural history. The sources employed include Dante commemorations, festivals and monuments, pilgrimages to his tomb, films and other media productions about Dante, as well as comic strips, advertisements and other cultural items dedicated to him.
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 The romantics’ Dante
1. The late 18th century revival
2. Between Foscolo and Mazzini
3. «A modern-day Homer»
4. Three monuments and a rediscovered portrait
5. A Dantean journey
Chapter 2 The 1865 centenary celebrations
1. A ‘trial run’: Galileo’s anniversary celebrations
2. Embodying the symbol of the Italian spirit
3. National pride in the capital Florence
4. Dantis Ossa
5. An Italian festival
Chapter 3 «Dantemania» in the age of liberalism
- Dante studies become part of the university curriculum
- Public worship and private devotion
- Dante’s statues
- The mausoleum, the lamp and the ampoule
- Dantean monotheism
Chapter 4 Fascist Italy’s Dantean cult
1. Dante’s war
2. Croce’s doubts, the Catholics’ enthusiasm
3. For Dante, eja, eja, alalà!
4. Officialdom, historical parades and cinema
5. «Italian by blood and lineage»
Chapter 5 From Italian symbol to global icon
- A myth in a watermark
- «A universal good»
- Altissimi cantus dominus
- «Give Dante to the people»
- Dante the pop icon
- Yet another public use of Dante?
Bibliography
Index
Biography
Fulvio Conti is Full Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Florence.
