Italy: Ciao Bella

Dante Alighieri … a name that is probably known to everyone … as is his signature work, “La Divina Commedia” (The Divine Comedy).

A revered Italian poet, writer, and philosopher. He was born in Firenze in 1265, and lived and served there as a city official until he fell afoul of Pope Boniface VIII and the pope’s supporters, the Black Guelphs. He was eventually permanently exiled in 1302 and threatened with being burned at the stake if he ever returned.

And that’s how Dante ended up in Ravenna sometime between 1314-1317 … the exact date is debated. It is accepted, however, that the city offered him a “peaceful last oasis.” It was here that he died in 1321 … never seeing his beloved Firenze again … nor his wife and children, who remained behind when he was exiled.

There is quite the cult associated with Dante, and in Ravenna, there is an entire area dedicated to him … Zona Dantesca … aka Zona del Silenzio (Zone of Silence) … the center of which is the Tomba di Dante.

After I released Mui from his prison, we set out to visit the tomb. (The story of Mui’s ‘incarceration’ is at this link if you skipped that story … https://findpenguins.com/8pccjefaitoru/footprin….)

One is not allowed inside the tomb, which was built between 1780-1782, and where his remains are currently buried. Or so they say! Haven’t seen them for ourselves, so we can neither confirm nor deny that they are there 😉.

Yes, I am being a bit sarcastic here. His remains did move around a bit, so it’s not unusual for inquiring minds to wonder.

Anyway, first they were ‘stolen’ by Franciscan monks to hide the remains from the Fiorentini, who were given permission in 1519 to claim the remains. They were later hidden again in a cloister wall to protect them from Napoleon’s troops. After being ‘found’ in 1845, they were hidden once more to protect them from WWII Allied bombing raids. Dug up in 1945, they were retuned to the tomb for the final burial.

Our initial plan was to return to the B&B after paying our respects at Dante’s tomb. But seeing as how it was still early, we extended our visit to Zona Dantesca.

First we went to Casa Dante, which dates back to the 14th century. The name is a bit of a misnomer since he did not live there … but is believed to have been hosted by the owners of the house … the Da Polenta family, lords of Ravenna.

Today, there is a museum of sorts housed at the Casa. The facility is described as “… a multifunctional center for Dante studies and exhibitions” … including a room where several Dante-related paintings are on loan from the Uffizi Gallery in Firenze. The eclectic items at Casa Dante include examples of the use of Dante’s image for product advertisement, and the box in. which his bones were ‘hidden’ during WWII.

Admission to the Casa includes access to Museo Dante, which is housed on the first floor of the former Franciscan Monastery around the corner. That was our next stop.

The museum opened in 1921, on the occasion of the 6th centenary of his death. Back then, it was a storage of relics and memorabilia owned by the municipality. It later underwent changes and re-opened as the new museum on the 700th anniversary of his death. It has a number of interesting exhibits, including a multimedia room and a display based on Dante’s stereotypical image … created by Boccaccio … who never actually met the man.

We wrapped up our visit at the Basilica di San Francesco, which is located in the square behind the tomb. Dating back to the 5th century, nothing remains of the original church, which was restored over the centuries. It was in 1261 that
the Franciscans made the church their seat and gave it the current name by which it is known today.

It is generally accepted that this is where Dante would have likely been a congregant. After he passed, it was this basilica that hosted his funeral. And before the tomb was built, his remains were temporarily buried in a 5th century sarcophagus in a chapel here.

One of the fascinating aspects of the church is the crypt that dates back to the 9th/10th century … located below the presbytery. It is permanently flooded with groundwater … the level dependent on the amount of rainfall. One can see the remains of the original mosaic pavement, which was restored in 1877. To view the crypt, one turns on the timed-lights by inserting €1 in the mechanism next to the opening.

I read that the crypt is emptied to clean the mosaics and collect the coins tourists and locals throw in the water. Not sure, however, what they do with the goldfish we saw swimming around!!!

What was to be a simple tomb visit, turned into much more … a very enjoyable conclusion to our second day of sightseeing in Ravenna.Read more