French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. Trovato, Cinq voyages avec Dante
Comparative and World Literature

Vincent Trovato, Cinq voyages avec Dante

Paris: L'Harmattan, coll. "Approches littéraires", 2017.

288 p.

EAN 9782343109206

29,00 EUR

Publisher's overview:

Most of us remember only the monstrous figures and the torments inflicted upon damned souls in The Divine Comedy. Yet Dante’s genius lies in having crafted a masterwork that depicts the society of his time while raising a host of crucial questions. Through metaphor, he addresses philosophy, theology, ethics, and astrology alike. Taking the form of five "journeys," this book offers a fresh and unique reading of Dante's opus, revealing a new Dante whose emotions bring him closer to our own times.

Vincent Trovato is a Senior Lecturer and teaches philosophy at the University of Mons.

Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy stands as one of the towering achievements of medieval Italian literature, shaping centuries of European poetry, theology, and cultural imagination. Beyond its famous depictions of the afterlife and divine justice, the poem functions as a profound encyclopedic reflection on medieval cosmology, politics, and human morality. Scholars and readers across generations have continually returned to its allegorical layers to examine the intersection of medieval faith, classical philosophy, and political ideology in fourteenth-century Italy.

Vincent Trovato's study approaches this vast poetic opus through five distinct thematic journeys, exploring how Dante intertwines philosophical, theological, ethical, and astrological inquiries within his narrative. By examining the emotional dimensions of the author and his work, the volume highlights aspects of the text that resonate with modern sensibilities. Readers interested in Italian literature and medieval intellectual history may find this contextual exploration a helpful companion to reading the original masterpiece.