Families and factions
Melanesi
People mentioned in Purgatorio VIII, v. 80, in the simile of the viper that makes the Melanesi encamp, with reference to the custom of the jurisdiction of the Visconti coat of arms.
Profile
In Purgatorio VIII, v. 80, the Melanesi appear within a simile: the viper that Melanesi encamp. According to authorized notes, the expression indicates that it makes the Milanese encamp, set up camp, with the form without an article that was normal for names of peoples. The notes also clarify that the textual variants discuss whether to read 'l Milanese', meaning that the Visconti has in the field of his own coat of arms, a reading considered potentially more pertinent but rejected by Petrocchi because it lacks good foundation in the tradition. The reference documents a military custom linked to the Visconti insignia, confirmed by contemporary documents.
In the text
Linked verses
1 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory | Canto VIII | 80 | la vipera che Melanesi accampa, | Open verse |