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Empyrean makes the tenth。 In the Inferno； sinners are organized by three
vicesIncontinence； Violence； and Fraudand further subdivided by the
seven deadly sins。 In Purgatory； penance is ordered on the basis of three
types of natural love。 Paradise is organized on the basis of three types of
Divine Love； and further subdivided according to the three theological and
four cardinal virtues。 （Thomas Schumacher； 〃The Danteum；〃 Princeton
Architectural Press； 1993）
By translating the structure； Terragni could then layer the literal and
the spiritual meanings of the Poem without allowing either to dominate。
These layers of meaning are native to the Divine Comedy as they are
native to much medieval literature； although modern readers and tourists
may not be so familiar with them。 They are literal； allegorical； moral； and
anagogical。 I offer you St。 Thomas of Aquinas' definition of these last
three as they relate to Sacred Scripture：
。 。 。this spiritual sense has a threefold division。 。 。so far as the things
of the Old Law signify the things of the New Law； there is the allegorical
sense； so far as the things done in Christ； or so far as the things which
signify Christ； are types of what we ought to do； there is the moral sense。
But so far as they signify what relates to eternal glory； there is the
anagogical sense。 （Summa Theologica I； 1； 10）
Within the Danteum the Poet's meanings lurk in solid form。 An
example： the Danteum design does have spaces literally associated with
the Comedythe Dark Wood of Error； Inferno； Purgatorio； and the
Paradisobut these spaces also relate among themselves spiritually。 Dante
often highlights a virtue by first condemning its corruption。 Within Dante's
system Justice is the greatest of the cardinal virtues； its corruption； Fraud；
is the most contemptible of vices。 Because Dante saw the papacy as the
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most precious of sacred institutions； corrupt popes figure prominently
among the damned in the Poet's Inferno。 In the Danteum the materiality of
the worldly Dark Wood directly opposes the transcendence of the Paradiso。
In the realm of error every thought is lost and secular； while in heaven
every soul's intent is directed toward God。 The shadowy Inferno of the
Danteum mirrors the Purgatorio's illuminated ascent to heaven。 Purgatory
embodies hope and growth where hell chases its own dark inertia。 Such is
the cosmography shared by Terragni and Dante。
In this postscript I intend neither to fully examine the meaning nor the
plan of the Danteum； but rather to evince the power that art has acted as a
catalyst to other artists。 The Danteum； a modern design inspired by a
medieval poem； is but one example。 Dante's poem is filled with characters
epitomizing the full range of vices and virtues of human personalities。
Dante's characters come from his present and literature's past； they are
mythological； biblical； classical； ancient； and medieval。 They； rather than
Calliope and her sisters； were Dante's muses。
'La Divina Commedia' seems a natural candidate to complete Project
Gutenberg's first milleditio and to begin its second thousand e…texts。
Although distinctly medieval； its continuum of influence spans the
Renaissance and modernity。 Terragni saw his place within the Comedy as
surely as Dante saw his own。 We too fit within Dante's understanding of
the human condition； we differ less from our past than we might like to
believe。 T。 S。 Eliot understood this when he wrote 〃Dante and Shakespeare
divide the modern world between them； there is no third。〃 So now Dante
joins Shakespeare （e…text #100） in the Project Gutenberg collection。 Two
works that influenced Dante are also part of the collection： The Bible （#10）
and Virgil's Aeneid （#227）。 Other major influencesSt。 Thomas of
Aquinas' Summa Theologica； The Metamorphoses of Ovid； and Aristotle's
Nicomachean Ethicsare available in electronic form at other Internet
sites。 If one searches enough he may even find a computer rendering of the
Danteum on the Internet。 By presenting this electronic text to Project
Gutenberg it is my hope that in will not rest in a computer unknown and
unread； it is my hope that artists will see themselves in the Divine Comedy
and be inspired； just as Dante ran the paths left by Virgil and St。 Thomas
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THE DIVINE COMEDY
that led him to the stars。
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