This year, 2021, marks the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante, author of the great Divine Comedy. I invite you to experience the odyssey, by accompanying me as I discuss each canto.

(My book, Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide For The Spiritual Journey, is published by Angelico Press for the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death on 13th September 2021.)

Dante begins his journey by waking up in a dark wood. The air tastes bitter. He becomes fearful. Truth is out of reach. But his crisis is a turning point.

Many today, too, are waking up to something that's gone wrong. The air tastes bitter, people are fearful, truth is out of reach. We’re in a spiritual crisis. We must see the world afresh and understand. I believe Dante can help us discover how.

Canto 7 picks up the embrace of Virgil and Sordello, intensified when Virgil's "deathless excellence" is celebrated. Virgil explains why he's on Mount Purgatory. Sordello then describes new things about the place that means they must find a resting place for the night, now approaching. They come to a valley of extraordinary beauty, and from above, observe its occupants: preoccupied souls lost in chant and thought.

There is an MP3 version of the talk, a sign up to the podcast version and receive notifications, and more at www.markvernon.com/dantes-divine-comedy.

I recommend the translation by Mark Musa in the Penguin Classics edition, both for its accessibility and notes.

The images that accompany my discussion are by Gustav Doré (in black and white), William Blake (in colour), Sandro Botticelli (the drawings), Priamo della Quercia (illustrations) and assorted manuscripts.

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