Bibliotheca Dantesca, Vols. 7-8

This expansive double issue brings together a diverse set of contributions that highlight both the historical depth and the contemporary reach of Dante Studies. The volume includes essays that revisit foundational questions in Dante’s intellectual and poetic formation, from a reconsideration of his lyric exchange with Cino da Pistoia in light of the ethics of free choice, to a philosophical inquiry into the relationship between usury and sodomy across the moral architecture of the Commedia. Further contributions explore Dante’s complex afterlives: his ideological appropriation in modern Italian political discourse, his transformation within visual culture through early twentieth-century photographic projects, and his reconfiguration within contemporary interactive media, including major video game franchises. Philological research returns us to Dante’s textual workshop by proposing new source material for Ulysses’s orazion picciola, while the issue also features an interview on the evolving digital archive Dante Today alongside a rich section of reviews. Taken together, these studies not only illuminate Dante’s works from new critical angles but also demonstrate the poet’s enduring capacity to generate dialogue across disciplines, media, and historical moments—confirming the field’s continued dynamism and relevance.

All articles are available in both online reader version and PDF. To access an article's PDF, visit the article page and click on the grey cube icon next to the article title.

Cover image: Charon, illustration by John Flaxman for La divina Comedia (1793). Source: The Divine Comedy Image Archive, Cornell University Library.