Real
Mantua
Mantua is the birthplace of Virgil, recalled by him himself in the Inferno as his place of origin and indicated by the notes as the home of the Latin poet whom Dante recognizes as his guide.
Description
In Inferno XX, v. 93, Virgil recalls his own origin, specifying «Mantüa l'appellar sanz'altra sorte», thus linking his name to the city of Mantua. The notes to Canto I of the Inferno confirm that Virgil «nacque a Mantova e visse sotto Augusto», presenting him as a poet of concrete historical reality and not as a mere allegorical figure. The name of Mantua also appears in Purgatorio VI, v. 72, when Sordello, born «a Goito presso Mantova», recognizes with the exclamation «O gloria d'i Latin» the poetic value of Virgil. The source of the notes to Canto VI of the Purgatorio further specifies that Sordello, «il più illustre e il più grande dei trovatori italiani», was born near the Mantuan city, establishing a direct link between the troubadour and the poet Virgil precisely through their shared geographical origin.
In the text
Linked verses
2 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inferno | Canto XX | 93 | Mantüa l’appellar sanz’ altra sorte. | Open verse |
| Purgatory | Canto VI | 72 | «Mantüa . . . », e l’ombra, tutta in sé romita, | Open verse |