The Guardian – Leaders rally in support of ‘father of Italian language’ after withering comments in German newspaper
Italian political and cultural leaders have sprung to the defence of their much-revered poet Dante Alighieri after a German newspaper downplayed his importance to the Italian language and said William Shakespeare was “light years more modern”.
In a comment piece in Frankfurter Rundschau, Arno Widmann wrote that even though Dante “brought the national language to great heights”, Italian schoolchildren struggled to understand the antiquated verse of his Divine Comedy, which was written in 1320.
The epic poem, which is split into three parts and traces a pilgrim’s journey through hell, purgatory and heaven, was written in the vernacular Tuscan dialect to make it accessible to the masses, instead of Latin. His choice had such a great impact on writers at the time that the Tuscan dialect formed the basis for modern Italian, hence why the poet is known as “the father of the Italian language”.
Dante still relevant – Mattarella on 700th anniversary
ANSA – Poet’s life and work are lesson for all – president on Dante Day
President Sergio Mattarella said Dante Alighieri’s life and work still teach us lessons today as Italy’s celebrates the 700th anniversary of the death of the author of the Divine Comedy on Dantedì – Dante Day. The great poet died in Ravenna after being exiled from Florence due to his political activities. “Dante gave a lesson of coherence for everyone, politicians included, because you must not go against your conscience,” Mattarella told Corriere della Sera. “And one of the most important parts of his legacy is the dilemma between justice and compassion”. The ‘Supreme Poet’ will be celebrated across the country with the highest-profile event being a televised reading of Canto XXV of the Paradiso by comic actor, director and Dante buff Roberto Benigni at the presidential Quirinal Palace at 19:10 in the presence of Mattarella and Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. In the famed canto, Dante’s muse Beatrice vouches for the poet and pilgrim’s possession of hope in redemption.
Dante? Amava Laura e scrisse Il Decameron. Gli strafalcioni degli studenti nel Dantedì
Corriere della Sera – Dante? Non è nato a Firenze
Il 25 marzo si celebra il Dantedì, la Giornata nazionale dedicata a Dante Alighieri. La data coincide con il giorno in cui secondo gli studiosi ha inizio il viaggio nell’aldilà della Divina Commedia e quest’anno coincide con la celebrazione dei 700 anni dalla sua morte. In occasione di questo appuntamento la piattaforma Skuola.net ha voluto mettere alla prova mille studenti dell’ultimo triennio del liceo. I risultati? Imbarazzanti. Partiamo dalle note biografiche: 1 su 5 non ha indicato Firenze come luogo di nascita di Dante. Molti di più (45%) quelli che hanno dimostrato di non sapere il luogo in cui è morto ed è sepolto: Ravenna. Niente da fare neanche con la sua collocazione storica: solamente il 52% lo posiziona a cavallo tra il 1200 e il 1300.
