Pier dalla Broccia

Profile

Pier dalla Broccia is a historical figure recalled in Purgatorio VI: Dante mentions him in the form «Pier da la Broccia» (Purg. VI, v. 22), placing him in Antepurgatory among the violent against their neighbors. The critical notes to the canto identify him with Pierre de la Brosse, a gentleman of Touraine, chamberlain of Philip III of France. According to the commentary, his soul was «separated from his body» by a violent killing «out of hatred and envy alone, and not because he had committed some fault». The notes specify that he was hanged in 1278 following an accusation of treason brought against him by Queen Mary of Brabant, the king's second wife, after in 1276 he had accused the queen of having poisoned the heir to the throne. Dante deliberately avoids endorsing his innocence, limiting himself to reporting the words spoken by him. The entry confines itself to these data, without extending the biographical profile beyond what is documented by the sources.