Purgatory and Dante's Divine Comedy

Thoughtful people have long disputed whether Purgatory actually exists. Where did the idea of Purgatory originate? Does it have ancient roots? Modern acceptance? How do scholars assess Dante’s Divine Comedy, which devotes an entire section to Purgatory?

 It is said that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who proselytized the Irish in the fifth century, once had a physical place of penitence revealed to him. It was in a cave, on Saint’s Island in Lough Derg, County Donegal, where he had a vision of the afterlife.

It is believed the story of St. Patrick’s Purgatory influenced Dante Alighieri whose Divine Comedy remains the most famous tale of Purgatory ever told. Who was Dante? Why has his work been so influential for so many centuries?

In this story behind the famous work, meet Dante and see several rare editions of The Divine Comedy. Examine the rich illustrations of leading artists, particularly those of Gustave Doré. Discover one of the world’s most valuable Dante collections at the University of Notre Dame.