Today Italy and the whole world remember Dante Alighieri. Or rather, today the events promoted for this entire year culminate: in fact, September 14 is the day on which the death of the Supreme poet occurs. The 700 years are just today. But for over a year there have been many cultural initiatives, theater performances, insights, exhibitions, publications, debates and analyzes on Dante Alighieri. For the world of culture, in fact, this 2021 is the year of Dante Alighieri, the father of Italian language and literature.
The numerous initiatives for the 700th anniversary
The celebrations started even earlier: il president of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, on 5 September last year, had kicked off this year of commemorations. Among the most important appointments the "DanteDì", which in some respects was the central day of the commemorations. On March 25, in fact, the journey into the Underworld described by Dante in his “Divine Comedy” begins. But today, September 14, is the day of the commemoration of his death, which took place 700 years ago. Dante Alighieri was 56 years old. It was 1321 and returning from a trip he contracted malaria. Weakened by age, his physique did not last long. And he died in the night between 13 and 14 September.
A mass in Ravenna in his memory
The great poet was in Ravenna city that "had adopted" him after the start of his exile. City to which he will remain linked and which in recent days has remembered him with the celebration of a mass. Sunday was a day of commemorative events, including poetry, theater and music. Also protagonists are Lino Guanciale and Sandro Lombardi, who read some songs from the Divine Comedy among the musical interventions of the polyphonic choirs and Ludus Vocalis white voices. In the Basilica of San Francesco the Mass presided over by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, a scholar of Dante theologian, who also gave a lectio magistralis in the afternoon. In the evening, the concert directed by maestro Riccardo Muti in the public gardens. Among the ceremonies there is also the traditional offering of oil for the votive lamp to Dante's tomb, by the Municipality of Florence.
Our memory
And also italiani.it has written many insights in recent months, following the numerous initiatives promoted in Italy and in the rest of IT world; to remember the great poet. Even today with a live special. It is useless to reiterate how enormous Dante Alighieri's influence was on our culture. So how dear your message is to us at italiani.it. So far away but always current. The great poet so loved and hated at school is undoubtedly the father of our language and literature. For this reason it remains a point of reference for our culture after many years.
And there are many posts on social media by those who wanted to remember it with a verse from the Divine Comedy or other works. Dante is one of the giants of the history of literature, today Italy celebrates him as one of the fathers of the homeland and symbols of Italian cultural glory. And we like to think that after having imagined and described it with wise words, now he is there in Heaven to admire “The love that moves the sun and the other stars”.
Featured image: Dante contemplates the Empire, Giovanni Guida - Own work CC BY-SA 3.0
