Dante Today

Citings & Sightings of Dante's Works in Contemporary Culture

Convict-Actors Recite Dante

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“Three long-term convicts turned actors who appeared in the Taviani brothers’ prison-set Caesar Must Die Shakespearian film drama are to get out of jail for three hours to recite Dante’s Inferno at a Rome university symposium Thursday marking the 700th anniversary of the Supreme Poet’s death.

“Filippo, Giovanni and Francesco, serving lengthy terms for criminal association in the mafia wing of Rebibbia Prison, will be special guests at the event organized by the pontifical Dante commission.

“The three men said they hoped the three hours would be long enough for them to ‘see the stars again’ like Dante does when he emerges from the pit of Hell.”    –ANSA, November 23, 2021

Valentino Love Lab, 2019 Holiday Collection

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For the holiday season in 2019, Valentino Garavani introduced a capsule collection featuring the final verse of Paradiso 33: “L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.” The verse appeared on shoes, hats, wallets, and purses.

Temple St. Clair’s “Astrid” Bracelet and Ring

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18K gold bracelet by jeweller Temple St. Clair, featured on the site The Picket Fence: “The inside of the bracelet features an intimate detail: an inscription of the last verse of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy–– Amor Che Move Il Sole E L’Altre Stelle (The love that moves the sun and other stars).”    —The Picket Fence

The image above also features the matching ring, available at The Editorialist: “Marrying science and art, the Astrid Ring unfolds like an astronomical model of the cosmos, revealing multiple rings that can be worn on the finger, or around the neck as a pendant. Engraved with symbols representing the planets, as well as the last verse of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy—’Amor Che Move Il Sole E L’Altre Stelle’ (The love that moves the sun and other stars)—this timeless ring expresses the belief that it is love that moves the universe.”    —The Editorialist

Infiorata di Noto, Omaggio a Dante (2021)

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“L’infiorata di Noto is an annual event in Noto, Sicilia, which creates an extended street design made entirely of flowers. This year’s design is dedicated to the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death.”   –Contributor Kate McKee

“La 42esima Infiorata di via Nicolaci si farà e sarà un omaggio a Dante Alighieri. Si svolgerà dal 14 al 16 maggio, nel massimo rispetto delle normative anticontagio da Covid-19, privilegiando ancora una volta il messaggio di forza, speranza e resilienza che Noto vuole mandare al Mondo intero, come già successo con l’edizione 2020 dal tema ‘La Bellezza è più Forte della Paura’.”   —Infiorata di Noto website (accessed May 17, 2021)

The theme of this year’s annual festival is “E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle,” which, as the above citation explains, celebrates the strength, hope, and resilience of Noto in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Contributed by Kate McKee (Bowdoin College ’22)

How to Cite

Coggeshall, Elizabeth, and Arielle Saiber, eds. Dante Today: Citings and Sightings of Dante's Works in Contemporary Culture. Website. Access date.

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