Unclassified
Matelda
A woman who in Purgatory awaits Dante in the earthly paradise; her name is spoken only once, in the last canto, where she is charged with speaking.
Profile
In Purgatory Matelda lives permanently in the earthly paradise, where Beatrice entrusts her with the task of immersing Dante in the waters of Lethe and making him drink from Eunoè: a task she also carries out for other souls, such as Statius, a sign that her function in the place is not tied solely to Dante. When Dante, before contemplating Beatrice, asks who she is, it is Matelda herself who answers, presenting herself as the one who is wont to perform that rite. Because of the number of steps that separate her from Beatrice and the Trinitarian symbolism of nine, the moment she turns around coincides with a reference to the Vita Nuova and to the number that always accompanies Beatrice.
In the text
Linked verses
1 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory | Canto XXXIII | 119 | Matelda che ’l ti dica». E qui rispuose, | Open verse |