Dante monument (Trento)

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The Dante monument in Trento

The Dante Monument ( ital . Monumento a Dante ) in Trento is a bronze statue in honor of Dante Alighieri , created by Florentine sculptor Cesare Zocchi in the park between the building of the Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige is available and the train station. The monument was built at the end of the 19th century as a symbol for the Italian culture of Trentino , which at that time still belonged to Austria-Hungary .

The history of the monument

As early as 1886, Gugliemo Ranzi had the idea of ​​creating a monument in honor of Dante on the occasion of the establishment of the Pro Patria Foundation in Rovereto . After the German national interpreted Walther monument in honor of the poet Walther von der Vogelweide had been erected in Bolzano in 1889 , Ranzi again dealt intensively with his idea of ​​the erection of a Dante monument, whereby he received political backing from the authorities. Although the possible effects on the self-determination efforts of the Trentino were well recognized, the monarchy did not find it expedient to oppose the project.

A total of 42 projects for the Dante monument were sent to the competition committee. Ultimately, a modified project by Cesare Zocchi was selected.

The foundation stone was laid on April 20, 1893 and shows the following inscription:

Pietra fondamentale del Monumento dei Tridentini a Dante Alighieri.

Mostrò ciò che potea la lingua nostra.

XX APR MDCCCXCIII

The Trentino Student Association, the Società degli Studenti trentini , organized a series of events in various localities in Trentino to explain the monument; Cesare Battisti was among the speakers . The inauguration took place on October 11, 1896, on a rainy day.

description

Dante and Virgil meet Sordello

The monument is almost 18 meters high. The base is about 13 meters wide, it was made in granite from the quarry near Predazzo . The statues are made of bronze. In the lower area the inferno of the Divina Commedia is stylized, with Minos sitting on a dragon. In the middle area is the purification mountain, the purgatorio . Dante and Virgil are portrayed as they encounter the souls of penitent people: Sordello da Goito , the haughty ones, who can be recognized by the boulders that they carry on their shoulders, the envious, the negligent, sitting and waiting. Two souls have already repented and are about to reach paradise. In the third area there is paradise with Beatrice , who holds her arms open, and the angels. Above it stands the statue depicting Dante walking forward. In his left hand he holds a book (probably the Divina Commedia ), while his right arm is stretched out, as if he wanted to “protect souls and animate his sons”, as the sculptor says.

  • Minos

  • The haughty ones

  • Two souls rise to paradise

  • Beatrice

Inscriptions

Several inscriptions were placed on the monument.

On the one hand year of birth and year of death (1265-1321) of Dante in Roman numerals:

MCCLXV - MCCCXXI

At the base of the monument, a request dictated by Guglielmo Ranzi :

Inchiniamoci Italiani

Inchinatevi Stranieri
Deh! Rialziamoci

Affratellati nella giustizia

analogous:

Let's bow, Italians

Bow down, strangers.
So! Let's get up

Fraternized in righteousness

Six of the eight sides of the base are labeled with the following words:

A Dante

Al padre il
Trentino
Col plauso
E l'aiuto della

Nazione

Another inscription was added in 1919 after the incorporation of Trentino-South Tyrol by Italy:

The parole di consacrazione

Al poeta nazionale
Cancellate dall'Austriaco
La società nazionale
Dante Alighieri
Nuovamente incise
Celebrando la vittoria d'Italia

MCMXIX

Remarks

  1. ↑ See the competition: Graziano Riccadonna, Paolo Oss Mazzurana. Il progresso al potere , Edizioni - UCT, Trento, 1996, pages 91-97.
  2. ↑ For a detailed description of the passages in the Divina Commedia see: Guido Lorenzi: La stanza dell'esule. In: Guido Lorenzi & Sergio Benvenuti: Il monumento a Dante a Trento - Storia e significati. Temi, 1992.

Coordinates: 46 ° 4 ′ 17.4 ″  N , 11 ° 7 ′ 13.5 ″  E

literature

  • Guido Lorenzi, Sergio Benvenuti: Il monumento a Dante a Trento - Storia e significati. Temi, Trient 1992.
  • Graziano Riccadonna: Paolo Oss Mazzurana. Il progresso al potere. Edizioni UCT, Trient 1996, ISBN 88-86246-21-8 .

Web links

Commons : Dante Monument  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files