The Italian poet will be remembered with a series of monthly seminars throughout the year, organised by the various Dante Alighieri Societies around the country and coordinated by the Canberra branch.
Many of the events can be attended in person and will be broadcast via webinar.
The first conference, hosted in Canberra, was live-streamed from the State Archives of Spoleto, where fragments of ancient texts of the Divine Comedy are housed.
The remains were discovered during recovery works in the wake of the 2016 earthquake in Amatrice and are currently being studied by Professor Rodney Lokaj, and Australian academic an associate professor of Italian Philology at the University of Enna Kore, in Sicily.
The initiative will head to Adelaide next month, when Philip LaForgia, art guide at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), will explore Dante’s influence on artistic movements and artists over the centuries.
The South Australian capital will also host a second event, with a musical twist, to be held at the end of August and led by Professor John Kinsella.
On May 27, Sydney will host a talk on Zoom by Paolo Totaro, foundation chairman of the Ethnic Affairs Commission, who will discuss the Supreme Poet’s relationship with the Italian community in Australia.
The following month, on June 25, Professor John Kinder, will hold a seminar in Perth, while in July, Brisbane will host award-winning Indigenous poet, Samuel Wagan Watson, who will analyse Dante’s work through a contemporary Australian lens.
In Victoria, a memorable dinner will be held by chef Stefano De Pieri on July 12, while September will see the Dante Alighieri Society in Melbourne collaborate with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) on an exhibition showcasing illustrations of the Divine Comedy by William Blake.
The initiative will come to an end with an event in Canberra on September 11.
For more information or to register for events, visit the website.
