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The Divine Comedy
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Fresco by Domenico di Michelino showing Dante Alighieri in a pink robe holding a book, with scenes of Florence and symbolic landscapes behind him, located at the Duomo in Italy. Watercolor by William Blake showing Dante and Virgil meeting Francesca da Rimini and Paolo in the Circle of the Lustful, with swirling figures swept by wind and a glowing figure above. Engraving by Gustave Dore showing Virgil guiding Dante as they look upon writhing, anguished souls struggling in the waters of the River Styx, with rocky cliffs in the background. Engraving by Gustave Dore showing Dante and Virgil standing on a rocky ledge, surrounded by winged demons in the eighth circle of Hell from the Divine Comedy. Gustave Doré: Dante lost in a dark wood before entering Hell Illustration by Sandro Botticelli showing a funnel-shaped, multi-layered diagram of Hell, with concentric circles descending into darkness, on a gold-toned background. Gustave Doré; Dante
Quizzes
Row of colorful books on a bookshelf. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
The Literary World
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Italian poet. The author of Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy), the great Italian epic poem which tells the story of Dante's journey through hell, purgatory and heaven, the three realms of the dead.
Name That Author
Edgar Allan Poe 1848. Photo of daguerreotype by W.S. Hartshorn 1848; copyright 1904 by C.T. Tatman. Edgar Allan Poe, American poet, short story writer, editor and critic. Edgar Allen Poe
Who Wrote It?
Illustration of "The Lamb" from "Songs of Innocence" by William Blake, 1879. poem; poetry
A Study of Poetry
4:043 Dickinson, Emily: A Life of Letters, This is my letter to the world/That never wrote to me; I'll tell you how the Sun Rose/A Ribbon at a time; Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul
Famous Poets and Poetic Form
Related Questions

The Divine Comedy: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • René Ostberg
    René Ostberg is an associate editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. 
  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Contributors

  • Christopher Schlicht

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: National Gallery of Art - Going through Hell? See Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” in Art. Aug 28, 2026
Added cross-references. Jan 02, 2026
Added top questions. Dec 31, 2025
Add new Web site: ABC listen - Soul Search - 700 years of Dante and The Divine Comedy. Sep 13, 2025
Add new Web site: Online Library of Liberty - The Divine Comedy, Vol. 1 (Inferno) (English trans.). May 23, 2025
Add new Web site: Digital USD - The Divine Comedy- Healing Trauma with Literature (PDF). Mar 27, 2025
Add new Web site: Brigham Young University - ScholarsArchive - Dante�s Divine Comedy: A Pastoral Subversion (PDF). Feb 15, 2025
Add new Web site: Brigham Young University - ScholarsArchive - Dante�s Divine Comedy: A Pastoral Subversion. Oct 24, 2024
Added a cross-reference. Aug 20, 2024
Article thoroughly revised and updated. May 03, 2024
Add new Web site: BBC Culture - Dante and The Divine Comedy: He took us on a tour of Hell. Nov 10, 2023
Add new Web site: National Gallery of Art - Going through Hell? See Dante�s �The Divine Comedy� in Art. Aug 18, 2023
Media added. Jun 23, 2023
Add new Web site: Columbia Unoiversity - Digital Dante - Divine Comedy. May 09, 2023
Media added. Dec 03, 2021
Corrected display issue. May 27, 2020
Add new Web site: The University of Adelaide - "The Divine Comedy The Vision of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise: Hell". Jan 10, 2019
Add new Web site: Internet Archive - "The Divine Comedy". Dec 06, 2018
Add new Web site: British Library - Dante's Divine Comedy. Mar 25, 2018
Media added. Oct 02, 2017
Expanded description of texts and translations of The Divine Comedy; added link to discussion of the poem in the broader context of Italian literature. Oct 02, 2017
Added cross-reference to extended discussion of The Divine Comedy. Dec 22, 2016
Revised and updated notable translations into English. Jul 23, 2015
Add new Web site: The University of Adelaide - "The Divine Comedy". Jun 08, 2014
Added new Web site: The University of Texas at Austin - Dante's Worlds. May 21, 2009
Added new Web site: The University of Texas at Austin - Dante's Worlds. May 21, 2009
Article revised and updated. Sep 25, 2007
Added new Web site: Renaissance Dante in Print (1472-1649). Jun 20, 2006
Added new Web site: Renaissance Dante in Print (1472-1649). Jun 20, 2006
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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