Real
Catona
Locality mentioned by Dante in Paradiso VIII among the castles that adorn the horn of Ausonia, corresponding today to a northern district of Reggio Calabria on the Strait of Messina.
Description
In verse 62 of Canto VIII of Paradiso, Dante mentions Catona as one of the three castles that characterize the southern part of the Italian peninsula. The note on verses 61-2 explains that Ausonia, corresponding to the territory of the Kingdom of Naples, is imagined in ancient maps as a sickle or horn, with the peninsulas of Puglia and Calabria curving at the sides of the Gulf of Taranto. The verb 's'imborga', coined by Dante, indicates the adorning with castles: Bari, Gaeta, and Catona. The overall meaning of the passage is that Charles Martel, placed in the heaven of the fixed stars, looks down from above upon the three regions that would have belonged to his dominion – Provence, the Kingdom of Naples, and that of Hungary – mentioned here through the symbolic places of the respective geographical areas.
In the text
Linked verses
1 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise | Canto VIII | 62 | di Bari e di Gaeta e di Catona, | Open verse |