Known as the “Dante Urbinate”, the finest and most richly illustrated copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy ever produced, was made especially for the library of Federico da Montefeltro. It is an expression of the splendor and magnificence of the Duke. The manuscript is a masterpiece written on very fine parchment with the most extraordinary miniature illustrations.
Having reached the shore of Purgatory, Dante and Virgil see the arrival of the angel boatman who appears luminous on his ship in the sea. Here they meet the spirit of Casella, a friend of…
By now we have seen ample evidence that the Dante Urbinate is one of the world’s priceless masterpieces, but what is its provenance, the history of its ownership? As with its production history, even its…
We left our two poets as they were exiting the Inferno, so now their journey continues toward the discovery of Purgatory. A large rectangular vignette with a gold leaf frame occupies the center of this…
You may not know that among the thousands of volumes in the Vatican Library, the Dante Urbinate has been chosen to be shown to distinguished visitors, because of its extraordinary beauty. The critical history of…
“E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle.” Our journey with Dante and Virgil through the Inferno has ended. We see the two poets as they emerge from the great rocky cave where Lucifer appears with…
Here, finally, the upper half of Lucifer emerges from the frozen lake. We are at the Judecca, reserved for traitors against religious and political authority. The demon Lucifer has three faces, colored red, black, and…
From blazing flames to ice, our journey beside Dante and Virgil continues in the ninth circle of the Inferno! The two poets have arrived at Antenora, where traitors to family or country are punished. Here…
We have mentioned the marvelous physical appearance of the Dante Urbinate but here we will focus on one aspect of its physical make-up: the parchment. The parchment of the Dante Urbinate is likely made of…