The Divine Comedy is composed of 14,233 lines that are divided into three cantiche (singular cantica) – Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise) … See more

The Divine Comedy can be described simply as an allegory: each canto, and the episodes therein, can contain many alternative meanings. Dante's allegory, however, is more complex, and, in explaining how to read the poem (see the Letter to See more

The Divine Comedy was not always as well-regarded as it is today. Although recognized as a masterpiece in the centuries immediately following its publication, the work was largely ignored during the Enlightenment, with some notable exceptions … See more

• Allegory in the Middle Ages
• Dream vision
• List of cultural references in Divine Comedy
• Seven Heavens
• Theological fiction See more

Manuscripts
According to the Italian Dante Society, no original manuscript written by Dante has survived, although there are many manuscript copies … See more

Classical
Without access to the works of Homer, Dante used Virgil, Lucan, Ovid, and Statius as the models for the style, history, and mythology of the … See more

The Divine Comedy has been a source of inspiration for countless artists for almost seven centuries. There are many references to Dante's … See more