- you are here: Home
- Hidden Treasures
- The footsteps of Dante in Venice

The footsteps of Dante in Venice
The Florentine poet Dante Alighieri is considered one of the greatest poets of all time and continues to fascinate the world, despite being dead for almost 700 years.
Perhaps not everyone knows that Dante, during his travels in exile away from his beloved Florence, he also visited Venice. The great poet of the Divine Comedy visited Venice in early 1321 as an ambassador of Guido Novello da Polenta, lord of Ravenna. He was the guest of one of the most influential nobles of the time, Giovanni Soranzo, and even now you can read a plaque on the front of the beautiful Gothic palace of the Soranzo family, which faces on the right side of the beautiful Campo San Polo that reminds us of him.
Dante was very impressed by Venice, but above all he was inspired by the Arsenal, the shipyard where the Venetians created their incredible fleet and which at that time was in full swing. In fact, in the twenty-first canto of the Inferno, to explain the punishment reserved for swindlers, the immersion in boiling pitch, Dante evokes an image of the Venice Arsenal:
Quale nell'Arzanà de' Viniziani
bolle l'inverno la tenace pece
a rimpalmare i legni lor non sani […]
These three quotes of Dante can be read on a plaque placed on the left of the main entrance of the Arsenal and on the right of the big front door you can also admire a bronze bust of the great poet. Dante's visit to Venice was unintentionally the cause of his death, because on the way back, passing near the Valli di Comacchio, Dante contracted malaria, which killed him in Ravenna September 14, 1321.
If you are looking for the most interesting places in the city on the water and discover the small and large curiosities of the Castello District such as the great Arsenal, do not miss the 'Secret Corners: Hidden Venice walking and motorboat tour’, an unique and exciting tour to learn about the hidden places in Venice from a double perspective!
- Google+
- tumblr
Search posts
Latest posts
Venice: What happened on May 16 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, the Saint of the Day is St. Boldo (St. Ubald Bishop) a church was dedicated to the Sain...
ViewVenice: What happened on May 1 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, today’s Saints are Sts. Philip and James, Apostles and Saint Scholastica, of whom ther...
ViewVenice: What happened on April 25 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, the Saint of the Day is St. Mark, Evangelist, Patron Saint of Venice It is the First Fea...
ViewVenice: What happened on April 20 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, the Saint of the Day is St. Victor. - April 20, 1797: capture of the French friga...
ViewTop posts
Venice: 10 songs that will make you think of Venice

Did you know that...
Sometimes we hear the first few lines of a song and our minds are suddenly transported back to a place, a memory or a dream. We put tog...
ViewPadua: Vò Euganeo: a place to be discovered

Unknown places & works
In the last few months there has been much talking around the small town of Vò, in the province of Padua. It was at the center of ever...
ViewVenice: 10 must-see movies filmed in Venice

Film Locations
Venice is unique amongst world cities and every year it turns into a dream-like experience for scores of tourists thanks to its timeles...
ViewChioggia: The Valley of the Seven Dead Men

Mysteries & Legends
Halloween is just around the corner: have you already got into the fascinating terrifying aura of the scariest party of the year? No ye...
View