Real
Catalonia
Catalonia: a territory mentioned in Par. VIII 77 as proverbial for the avarice of its inhabitants, called into question by Charles Martel in relation to Angevin misgovernment.
Description
In Canto VIII of the Paradiso, Charles Martel, speaking with Dante, recalls Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples governed by his house. He observes that every misgovernment ends up afflicting the subjugated peoples and driving them to revolt, as happened with the Sicilian Vespers. To this reflection he adds that if his brother Robert understood this truth, he should beware the greed of the Catalans, here referred to as Catalonia, lest he one day suffer the consequences. The notes to the passage point out that the avarice and greed of the Catalans were proverbial in the medieval context, to the point that Dante's expression became a sort of proverbial formula.
In the text
Linked verses
1 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise | Canto VIII | 77 | l’avara povertà di Catalogna | Open verse |