The Warburg Institute
From Devilr y
to Divinity:
Readings in the
‘Divina Commedia’
Programme 2015/16
Organisers: Alessandro Scafi (Warburg) and John Took (UCL)
Course Details & Registration
Weekly sessions will take place at the Warburg
Institute (Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB).
during the Autumn and Spring terms, Tuesday
lunch times from 1.00 - 2.15 pm (except where
otherwise indicated on the timetable).
The sessions at the Warburg Institute are:
- Free of charge for Warburg and UCL staff and
students, who do not need to register in advance.
- £80.00 per term standard rate or £50.00
concessionary rate (students/pensioners) for
members of other colleges and the general public.
Please register and pay online in advance at:
warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/seminars/dante/ and
then click on the payment link.
In addition a long weekend in mid November will
be held at the Italian Cultural Institute and in the
church of St Giles in the Fields to celebrate the
750th anniversary of Dante’s birth. Attendance is
free of charge but pre-registation is required. Visit
warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/seminars/dante/ for
further details.
Autumn Term 2015
1
6 October 2015 - Introduction: Dante’s life and
works; Dante’s universe.
2
13 October 2015 - Inferno, Canto I. The dark wood
and wild animals. The appearance of Virgil.
3
Spring Term 2016
1
12 January 2016 - Purgatorio, Canto X.1-45.
Canto XI.1-117. The First Cornice: the proud. The
Lord’s Prayer; Omberto Aldobrandeschi; Oderisi
da Gubbio.
20 October 2015 - Inferno, Canto V. The lustful.
Paolo and Francesca.
2
19 January 2016 - Purgatorio, Canto XXX.
Appearance of Beatrice on the chariot of the
Church.
4
27 October 2015 - Inferno, Canto XIII. The
suicides. Pier della Vigna.
3
5
10 November 2015 - Inferno, Canto XXVI and
XXVII. The evil counsellors. Ulysses and Guido da
Montefeltro.
26 January 2016 - Purgatorio, Canto XXXIII.
Beatrice prophesies the advent of a champion sent
from God to deliver Church and Empire. The final
ritual of Dante’s spiritual cleansing.
6
13 November 2015 - Why Dante? - Italian Cultural
Institute, 6.30 pm
4
2 February 2016 - Paradiso, Canto I. Ascent to
the heaven of fire.
7
14 November 2015 - Dante Day - Italian Cultural
Institute, 10 am - 6.00 pm
5
9 February 2016 - Paradiso, Canto III. Heaven of
the moon. Piccarda Donati.
8
15 November 2015 - Dante Thanksgiving Service
St Giles in the Fields, 6.30 pm
6
23 February 2016 - Paradiso, Canto XI.Thomas
Aquinas. Francis of Assisi.
9
16 November 2015 - L’Inferno. Silent movie
directed by Francesco Bertolini, Giuseppe de
Liguoro e Adolfo Padovan, with live music - Italian
Cultural Institute, 6.30 pm
7
1 March 2016 - Paradiso, Canto XVII. Heaven of
Mars. Cacciaguida.
10
17 November 2015 - Inferno, Canto XXXIII.
Count Ugolino. Canto XXXIV. Centre of Hell.
Lucifer.
8
8 March 2016 - Paradiso, Canto XXXIII. The
Empyrean. The vision of the Trinity.
11
24 November 2015 - Purgatorio, Canto XVI.58105; Canto XVII.91-105; Canto XVIII.13-75. The
moral structure of Purgatory; the nature of love and
its relation to free will.
12
1 December 2015 - Purgatorio, Canto I; Canto
II.106-132. Dante and Virgil emerge from the abyss
of Hell on the shore of Mount Purgatory. Cato. The
ritual of purification. Casella.