During 2016, a troupe of brave pilgrims climbed the literary mountain that is Dante’s Purgatorio in a course organised by Dante Giovani and facilitated by Nick Sgro-Traikovski. Focusing on the female voices that appeared in it, they examined the role of women in medieval society and brought elements of contemporary feminist criticism to bear on how Dante portrayed them. Lesser studied voices such as those of Pia were covered, as were the traditional ones such as Beatrice’s. Selected canti were studied in depth while participants also gained a general knowledge of the symbolism, structure and story of Purgatorio. The course was conducted in Italian and open to anyone with an interest in Dante. Sessions were self-contained, meaning that those who could not commit to regular sessions were still able to participate as their schedules demanded.
Course Outline
- Week 1: Canto 1 - Le Muse e Marcia
- Week 2: Canti 5/6 - Pia
- Week 3: Canto 9 - Santa Lucia
- Week 4: Canto 13 - Sapia
- Week 5: Canto 19 - La serena e la donna
- Week 6: Canto 27 - Lia
- Week 7: Canti 28/29 - Matelda e le ninfe
- Week 8: Canto 30 - Beatrice
- Week 9: Canto 32/33 - Puttana e Beatrice
English Flyer |
Italian Flyer |
Article in the Globo newspaper (21 July 2016)