Dante Istoriato. Inferno
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Dante Istoriato. Inferno
Start the online visit 2/31
Dante's portrait
Copia da Federico Zuccari
Ritratto di Dante Aligheri
1738/ 1753
GDSU inv. 14287 F
English version is upcoming.
"If e'er it happen that the Poem Sacred,
To which both heaven and earth have set their hand, So that it many a year hath made me lean,
O'ercome the cruelty that bars me out
From the fair sheepfold, where a lamb I slumbered, An enemy to the wolves that war upon it,
With other voice forthwith, with other fleece Poet will I return, and at my font Baptismal will I take the laurel crown ;
Because into the Faith that maketh known
All souls to God there entered I, and then Peter for her sake thus my brow encircled."
4/31
La selva oscura
Inferno, Canto I
GDSU 3474 F
English version is upcoming.
"Midway upon the journey of -our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward- pathway had been lost
Ah me ! how hard a thing it is to say
What was this forest savage, rough, and stem, Which in the very thought renews the fear."
5/31
La porta dell’Inferno. Gli ignavi.
Inferno, Canto III
GDSU inv. 3475 F
English version is upcoming.
Through me the way is to the city dolent ;
Through me the way is to eternal dole ;
Through me the way among the people lost Justice incited my sublime Creator ;
Created me divine Omnipotence,
The highest Wisdom and the primal Love. Before me there were no created things,
Only eterne, and I eternal last.
All hope abandon, ye who enter in!
These miscreants, who never were alive;
who live withouten infamy or praise.
7/31
Primo cerchio. La discesa al Limbo.
Inferno, Canto IV, vv. 24-27
GDSU inv. 3477 F
English version is upcoming.
"The foremost circle that surrounds the abyss
There, as it seemed to me from listening,
Were lamentations none, but only sighs,
That tremble made the everlasting air.
And this arose from sorrow without torment,
Which the crowds had, that many were and great,
Of infants and of women and of men."
Limbo
The foremost circle that surrounds the abyss
There, as it seemed to me from listening,
Were lamentations none, but only sighs,
That tremble made the everlasting air.
8/31
Primo cerchio. Il castello degli spiriti magni.
Inferno, Canto IV
GDSU inv. 3478 F
English version is upcoming.
"We came unto a noble castle's foot.
Seven times encompassed with lofty walls,
Defended round by a fair rivulet;
This we passed over even as firm ground;
Through portals seven I entered with these Sages"
The City of the Heroes. Rivulet.
We came unto a noble castle's foot.
Seven times encompassed with lofty walls,
Defended round by a fair rivulet ;
This we passed over even as firm ground ;
Through portals seven I entered with these Sages
We came into a meadow of fresh verdure
9/31
Primo cerchio. I Campi Elisi.
Inferno, Canto IV
GDSU inv. 3479 F
English version is upcoming.
"We came into a meadow of fresh verdure.
People were there with solemn eyes and slow,
Of great authority in their countenance;
They spake but seldom, and with gentle voices.
Thus we withdrew ourselves upon one side
Into an opening luminous and lofty,
So that they all of them were visible."
There opposite, upon the green enamel.
Were pointed out to me the mighty spirits.
Whom to have seen I feel myself exalted.
I saw Electra with companions many,
'Mongst whom I knew both Hector and Aeneas,
Caesar in armour with gerfalcon eyes;
I saw Camilla and Penthesilea
On the other side, and saw the King Latinus,
Who with Lavinia his daughter sat;
I saw that Brutus who drove Tarquin forth,
Lucretia, Julia, Marcia, and Cornelia,
And saw alone, apart, the Saladin.
When I had lifted up my brows a little,
The Master I beheld of those who know,
Sit with his philosophic family. All gaze upon him, and all do him honour.
There I beheld both Socrates and Plato,
Who nearer him before the others stand;
Democritus, who puts the world on chance,
Diogenes, Anaxagoras, and Thales,
Zeno, Empedocles, and Heraclitus;
Of qualities I saw the good collector,
Hight Dioscorides; and Orpheus saw I,
Tully and Livy, and moral Seneca.
10/31
Secondo cerchio. I lussuriosi. Minosse. Paolo e Francesca.
Inferno, Canto V
GDSU inv. 3480 F
English version is upcoming.
"There standeth Minos horribly, and snarls;
Examines the transgressions at the entrance;
Judges, and sends according as he girds him,
I say, that when the spirit evil-born
Cometh before him, wholly it confesses;
And this discriminator of transgressions
Seeth what place in Hell is meet for it;
Girds himself with his tail as many times
As grades he wishes it should be thrust down."
The lustful tormented
by the cruelest wind
that hurtles them through
a black and gloomy
air
11/31
Terzo cerchio. I golosi. Cerbero.
Inferno, Canti V-VI
GDSU, inv. 3481 F
English version is upcoming.
"Cerberus, monster cruel and uncouth,
With his three gullets like a dog is barking
Over the people that are there submerged.
Red eyes he has, and unctuous beard and black.
And belly large, and armed with claws his hands ;
He rends the spirits, flays, and quarters them"
12/31
Quarto cerchio. Avari e prodighi.
Inferno, Canto VII
GDSU inv. 3482 F
English version is upcoming.
"Pape Satan, Pape Satan, Aleppe!"
Thus Plutus with his clucking voice began;
And that benignant Sage, who all things knew.
Said, to encourage me : "Let not thy fear
Harm thee; for any power that he may have
Shall not prevent thy going down this crag."
13/31
Quinto cerchio. La palude Stigia. Iracondi e accidiosi.
Inferno, Canto VII
GDSU inv. 3483 F
English version is upcoming.
"And I, who stood intent upon beholding.
Saw people mud-besprent in that lagoon, hc
All of them naked and with angry look.
They smote each other not alone with hands,
But with the head and with the breast and feet.
Tearing each other piecemeal with their teeth."
15/31
La città di Dite.
Inferno, Canto IX
GDSU inv. 3485 F
English version is upcoming.
"Said unto me: "Behold the fierce Erinnys.
This is Megaera, on the left-hand side;
She who is weeping on the right, Alecto;
Tisiphone is between;" and then was silent.
Each one her breast was rending with her nails;
They beat them with their palms, and cried so loud, so
That I for dread pressed close unto the Poet.
"Medusa come, so we to stone will change him!"
All shouted looking down; "in evil hour
Avenged we not on Theseus his assault!"
16/31
La città di Dite e il Messo celeste.
Inferno, Canto IX
GDSU inv. 3486 F
English version is upcoming.
"Eve as the frogs before the hostile serpent
Across the water scatter all abroad.
Until each one is huddled in the earth.
More than a thousand ruined souls I saw,
Thus fleeing from before one who on foot
Was passing o'er the Styx with soles unwet.
From off his face he fanned that unctuous air,
Waving his left hand oft in front of him,
And only with that anguish seemed he weary.
Well I perceived one sent from Heaven was he,
And to the Master turned ; and he made sign
That I should quiet stand, and bow before him.
Ah! how disdamful he appeared to me!
He reached the gate, and with a little rod
He opened it, for there was no resistance."
17/31
Sesto cerchio. Eretici. Farinata degli Uberti e Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti.
Inferno, Canto X
GDSU inv. 3487 F
English version is upcoming.
"O Tuscan, thou who through the city of fire
Goest alive, thus speaking modestly,
Be pleased to stay thy footsteps in this place.
Thy mode of speaking makes thee manifest
A native of that noble fatherland.
To which perhaps I too molestful was.
"Upon a sudden issued forth this sound
From out one of the tombs; wherefore I pressed,
Fearing, a little nearer to my Leader.
And unto me he said: "Turn thee; what dost thou?
Behold there Farinata who has risen;
From the waist upwards wholly shalt thou see him"
