The Italian Institute of Culture is delighted to announce the new season of the series “Reading Dante at the IIC”.
Several times throughout the Commedia Dante addresses the lettore with the belief that he will be read by the futura gente – ourselves, and this we did from October to June, inspired by the poetry of Inferno and Purgatorio, dramatic, satirical, lyrical, but always enriching and inspiring. We shall continue with Prof. Corinna Salvadori Lonergan and read the conclusion of the journey, the final cantica, Paradiso. Although Dante is ‘transhumanized’, his heavenly experience is shared with us and placed in the context of our human condition, on our earth, so small in the cosmos, and tragically ‘l’aiuola che ci fa tanto feroci’, a threshing ground that makes us fierce. It was not intended, but the resulting number of readings will be 33, very Dantean.
The encounters will take place in the Pavilion at the Italian Institute of Culture on Tuesdays at 6.30pm, ending about 8.00. The explanation will be in English and the reading of the text in Italian, with a PowerPoint presentation of the text in both languages. We look forward to welcoming all who want to enjoy the wonder of the Commedia, readers old and new, without worries about knowledge of the language: Dante will improve it.
Calendar of readings
Tuesday 2 October – Paradiso: Ascending heavenward to the Moon: Piccarda, Costanza (I-IV)
Tuesday 30 October – Paradiso: Free will; heaven of Mercury: Justinian, Romeo (V-VIII)
Tuesday 13 November – Paradiso: Heaven of Venus: Cunizza, Folco; of the Sun: Aquinas, Francis (IX-XI)
Tuesday 27 November – Paradiso: Dominic; Heaven of Mars: Dante’s ancestor Cacciaguida (XII-XV)
Tuesday 11 December – Paradiso: Heaven of Mars: Cacciaguida, condemnation of sectarianism, Dante’s exile and mission (XVI-XVII)