In 2021 the city of Ravenna celebrated the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri. But how did this famous Florentine poet come to be associated with Ravenna? And where can you find Dante in Ravenna today?
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Dante And Ravenna
Dante Alighieri – often known as the “father of the Italian language” – was born in Florence in 1265. As well as making a name for himself as a poet, he became heavily involved in politics. This got him into trouble with the city authorities, and he was exiled in 1302. He never returned to Florence again.
For many years Dante wandered from one town to another. However, in 1318 Guido Novello da Polenta, the lord of Ravenna, invited him to make his home there. It was in Ravenna that Dante completed his master work, The Divine Comedy, and it was here that he died and was buried in 1321.
Where To Find Dante In Ravenna
As you walk around Ravenna you are following in Dante’s footsteps. Many of the streets and buildings that you see today would have been there in the 14th century, and would have influenced the poet. In particular, he must have been familiar with the magnificent Byzantine mosaics for which the city is most famous.
Unfortunately, we don’t know the exact location of the house in which Dante lived, although the Casa Scarabigoli (close to Dante’s Tomb) is often regarded as a possibility. Another site to look out for is the unmarked house near Porta Sisi in Via Zagarelli alle Mura. This is reputed to have been the home of Francesca da Polenta, who features in Dante’s Inferno.
The locations known to be connected with the poet are clustered around the “Dante Quarter”, the square around the Basilica San Francesco and Dante’s Tomb. Look out too for plaques around the city labelled “Camminare Ravenna con la Divina Commedia”. This is a series of 100 plaques marking important civic buildings each with a line from the Divine Comedy and a QR code taking you to the relevant Canto.
Tomb Of Dante
Dante’s burial place has a curious history. He was originally buried in a Roman sarcophagus in Ravenna, but his bones later had to be hidden, as the city of Florence tried to repatriate his bones in the 15th century. The current tomb, a grand neoclassical monument at the end of Via Dante, was built in 1781, However the bones were nowhere to be found, only being rediscovered by accident in 1865!
The story doesn’t end there, as he was hidden again during the Second World War, to protect against possible bomb damage. And Florence still hasn’t quite given up hoping for the bones to return to them…
Around the tomb is an area known as the Zona di Silenzio (Zone of Silence), where visitors are asked to pay their respects to Italy’s national poet. Here you will also find the Quadrarco di Braccioforte, a small garden containing the wall where Dante’s bones were hidden, as well as some ancient sarcophagi.
If you are in Ravenna in the evening make sure you visit the tomb at 6pm. A ritual has grown up whereby a part of his work is read out loud every day without fail!
Basilica Of San Francesco And The Dante Museum
The Zona di Silenzio also includes the Basilica of San Francesco. This is known as “Dante’s Church” because the poet’s funeral took place here, and because he would sometimes come here to meditate.
Behind the Basilica are the 14th century Franciscan Cloisters, where the Museo Dante opened in 1921 as part of the 600th anniversary celebrations. The museum contains paintings, manuscripts and other information and artefacts relating to Dante’s life and work, as well as the large bier in which the poet’s bones were displayed when rediscovered in the 19th century.
A remarkable part of the museum is the Sala della Commedia. This is a series of three rooms where you pick up headphones to listen to readings from the Divine Comedy. Combined with light and images, the verses take you on a voyage through the stages of the poem. A journey that starts in the the darkness of the Inferno then progresses through Purgatory to arrive at the light of Paradise.
Casa Dante
Despite its name the Casa Dante was never the poet’s home. Instead it is a small museum with displays relating to the “Cult of Dante” (the reverence for Italy’s national poet which led to the battle for his bones). You will also see artefacts such as the box in which his bones were stored during the war.
Dante’s Dark Wood
A short distance from Ravenna is the Pine Forest of Classe, the Dark Wood of the Inferno. From the car park in Parco I° Maggio you can follow a walking trail known as Dante’s Oaks. This is a route that the poet would ride through for inspiration, and there is one tree in particular that is said to be the one beneath which he rested. And his ghost is reputed to haunt the forest…
The Roads Of Dante
Further afield, tourists can explore Le Vie di Dante (Roads of Dante). This is a 400 km trail between the poet’s birthplace in Florence and his final resting place in Ravenna, following the places of his exile. You could travel the route by train or car, bike or foot. Whichever you choose, it is designed for slow travel. Although perhaps not the 16 years it took for Dante to get to Ravenna from Florence!
