La Divina Commedia – Dante Alighieri – 1881 | Italian Language, Pietro Fraticelli Commentary

Dante’s Divine Comedy is one of the most impactful and enduring works of world literature. The epic poem details a vision of a complex, allegorical journey through the spiritual realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, guided by his deceased lover, Beatrice, as well as Virgil and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Dante masterfully blends mythology with medieval politics, comparing the deeds of historical figures with the merits of famous literary characters as he assigns them proportionate, poetic justice in the afterlife. The classic narrative is rich in social commentary, especially regarding the hypocrisy of those who were highly regarded by society in life and yet, in Dante’s vision, are counted among the citizens of Hell.

This 1881 Florentine edition, published by G. Barbera, features extensive scholarly commentary by Pietro Fraticelli, a renowned Dante scholar whose work was immensely popular in 19th-century Italy. Published during a period of revived nationalism after the unification of Italy, editions of Italian classics such as this Divina Commedia bolstered national identity rooted in the region’s literary heritage.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: La Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri col Comento Di Pietro Fraticelli
• Author: Dante Alighieri
• Contributor: Pietro Fraticelli (Editor)
• Publisher: Firenze, G. Barbera
• Edition: Nuova Edizione (New Edition), 1881
• Binding: Half leather
• Format: Duodecimo (12mo), single volume
• Size: ~ 7.75 in x 5 in (19.5 cm x 13 cm)
• Collation: 723, [1], CXXX pp
• Illustrations: Includes portrait frontispiece and 3 diagrams of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise
• Contents Include:
  • Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso with extensive notes
  • Historical notes on Dante’s life
  • Indices and Glossary

Condition:

Good. The half leather binding shows moderate edgewear, especially to the corners and head of the spine. The hinges and text block are intact, if somewhat loose. Pages show with mild browning, primarily on page edges, and occasional annotations from a previous reader are scattered throughout.

Why Collect This?

• Full text of the classic Divine Comedy in Italian
• Fraticelli edition with comprehensive annotations
• Issued by G. Barbera, a leading Florentine nationalist publisher
• Attractive vellum binding with decorative accents

Item Number: #31254