Purgatory and Dante's Divine Comedy

Gustave Doré, a respected French artist so prolific that hundreds of books contain his illustrations, had a special passion for Dante. By the time he finished his drawings for The Divine Comedy, he had created 136 plates.

Although he illustrated the entire work, Doré seemed to favor the Inferno. Drawn hundreds of years ago, his pictures still resonate:

• At the beginning of his journey, Dante is alone. - (The Dark Wood of Error - Canto I, 1-2)



• Virgil - who will guide Dante for part of the trip - soon appears, and the two companions start off together.



• Because Dante's first objective is to recognize sin, he must initially descend to the Inferno. For the unsuspecting, the gate of hell looks innocuous.



• Phlegyas, the Boatman of the Styx (river of the underworld), gives Dante and Virgil passage. (Canto VIII 27-29)



• Dante sees the flaming red towers of Dis, capital of Hell. (Canto VIII, 110-111)



• Those who have harmed their neighbors - and have been violent against them - must atone for their past sins. Those guilty of Avarice must also pay. (Canto XII, 65-67)



• In the Seventh Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil meet Brunetto Latini.



• Devils, with pitchforks, assail Virgil.



• As they continue their travels, Dante and Virgil see firsthand (Canto XXIV, 79-81) that the Inferno is a gross, terrible place (Canto XXXII, 97-98).

Since Dante's Divine Comedy has been in print since the 14th century, it follows that many rare copies exist. Notre Dame University has one of the best collections of those priceless books. Let's take a look at some of the copies.