Inaugural lecture by Professor Matthew Treherne

Inaugural lecture by Professor Matthew Treherne

At the opening of Dante’s Purgatorio, as they find themselves on the shore of Mount Purgatory, Dante and Virgil are approached by a group of newly arrived, bewildered souls, who ask them for directions. Virgil responds that, though the souls might believe they have knowledge of the place, “Noi siam peregrin come voi siete” [we are pilgrims here, as you are] (Purg. II, 63). In this lecture I take this moment as a starting point to think, with Dante, through some of the central questions which occupy him in his Commedia: on knowledge, vernacular language, and what it means to recognise and flourish with other human beings. I’ll aim to show that Dante, read with proper attention to his historical context, can continue to speak to us in rich ways today.

All are very welcome, and I won’t assume that you know anything about Dante, Italian or medieval before the lecture. References to the text in Italian or Latin will be presented with translations into English.

The lecture will be followed by a reception in the Terrace Bar (Students’ Union)

Please RSVP via email to LCSResearch@leeds.ac.uk