In Verona, an immersive experience dedicated to Dante Alighieri

My Inferno. Dante prophet of hope is the title of the multimedia experience scheduled at the Bastione delle Maddalene in Madonnina alley, Porta Vescovo (Verona), a journey through Dante’s circles, for and involving young people, curated by Franco Nembrini. The exhibition, which was created to bring new generations closer to and enthuse them about the reading of the Divine Comedy, in addition to that of essayist and pedagogue Franco Nembrini also features the contribution of cartoonist and illustrator Gabriele Dell’Otto. The event is organized by the Rivela Association with the City of Verona, Cento Canti Publishing House and the Diocese of Verona. Interpretations and evocative images form the main thread of the itinerary that leads visitors in front of the verses of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno (1265-1321) with their own open existential questions, in search of a full meaning for life. In this way, the Supreme Poet becomes a prophet of hope: a credible and contemporary interlocutor, capable with his words and concrete examples to put the observer in front of the desire for happiness, to face with hope and courage the “own hell.” The point of view is that of the new generations: the original idea came from two students at the Catholic University of Milan.

Acting as guides arethree-year secondary school students(accompanied by adult guides and tutors from the Rivela association) thanks to the PCTO (Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation) activity. Trained on the exhibition with lessons and insights, the children can thus illustrate its contents to their peers and visitors. An exceptional guide is also NAO: a humanoid robot with all the joints of a human being and sensors that, thanks to Artificial Intelligence, make it capable of giving emotional feedback and explanations about the contents of the exhibition.

The exhibition is spread over an area of 500 square meters. Among the tunnels and underground passages of the Bastione delle Maddalene, the visitor finds himself traversing Dante’s Inferno, immersing himself in a multisensory journey made up of projected images, videos and sounds. There are 35 stages, punctuated by as many illustrations accompanied by insights and reflections. For example, the link between the poet and the city of Verona, where he was welcomed during his exile (first from 1303 to 1304, then from 1313 to 1318) emerges; the wandering through the “dark forest,” in which Dante meets Virgil, then the passage of the Gates of Hell; along the circles, there are encounters with, among others, Paolo and Francesca, Cerberus, Farinata Degli Uberti and Lucifer. An integral part of the event is, exclusively for Verona, the work El Dante, created by sculptor Adelfo Galli. It is a depiction of a man amazed, overwhelmed and moved by his encounter with Beatrice, so much so that he changes his consciousness of himself and of all reality. The sculptor depicts the procession the Supreme Poet witnesses in the earthly paradise (cantos XXIX and XXX) of Purgatory. The mythological griffin guides the chariot of the Church, on which Beatrice is seated, protected by the four evangelists (the eagle, the angel, the ox and the lion; the scene is cheered by the dance of the three theological virtues (Faith, Hope and Charity) and by the jubilation of a numerous people.

My Inferno. Dante’s Prophet of Hope follows the thread of illustrations created by Gabriele Dell’Otto for Franco Nembrini ’s volume on Dante’s Inferno. It starts from the intuition that the deeper meaning of the first cantica of the Divine Comedy is contained in the Vita Nova, the work written by Dante about ten years earlier. In its initial part, the exposition dwells on two perspectives: first, it makes one aware that man’s existence is “a dark forest” characterized by fear, dissatisfaction, loneliness, and the fact that all human attempts, even the most daring, are characterized by failure, by the realization that man alone is unable to make sense of his living. Later, he makes clear how God does not abandon man in his limitation: at the moment when he asks for help (“Miserere di me”) Dante is entrusted with a guide, Virgil, who leads the poet through the complex and difficult journey toward the light. On this journey Dante encounters man-made evil against himself and others, all the way to absolute evil, Lucifer. The exhibition intends to portray this journey by dwelling on some of the characters the poet encounters in visiting the various circles of hell, reflecting on the damned and their sins; admirably describing the entire human horizon. However, the gaze always appears to be tending toward the good: the realization of the abyss of human evil never results in nihilism or indifference, not even in the oppressive and icy atmosphere of Lucifer. The perspective always remains that of Christianity: to affirm hope even in the moment of pain and evil (“per ridir del ben che vi trovai”), because man is never alone. Indeed, becoming aware of man’s evil and weakness is but the first step toward the fullness of light, truth, and good (“we went out to see the stars again”).

“Is it worth the effort to read Dante?” asks editor Franco Nembrini. “It is worth it if one talks to Dante, that is, if one enters literature with one’s own questions, one’s own dramas, one’s own interest in life,” the essayist replies. “Then, suddenly, Dante will speak. He will speak to our heart, to our intelligence, to our desire; and it is a dialogue that once begun will never end.”

Tuesday, March 29, 8:45 p.m. at Teatro Camploy (at 32 Cantarane Street, Verona) is the evening show " Il mio inferno. Retroscena da una mostr." In the presence of curator Franco Nembrini, a group of young student-guides of the exhibition and the humanoid robot NAO. Nicolò Brenzoni will conduct the evening.

Visits will be possible only with mandatory reservations on the website www.danteprofetadisperanza.it. Information for reservations Tel. 340.7906962 from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. / from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Email: info@danteprofetadisperanza.it More information Tel. 375.5848188 / 347.9765382

In Verona, an immersive experience dedicated to Dante Alighieri

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.