Celebrating Dante at Vassar Main Menu Vassar College Libraries Online Exhibition The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Online Exhibition A Dante Pilgrimage by Simona Bondavalli Essay What Can The Divine Comedy Teach Us About Late Medieval History? by Nancy Bisaha Esasy Some Rare Editions of Dante in Special Collections by Ronald Patkus Essay Studying Dante through Art in the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center by Elizabeth Nogrady Essay Il Treno di Dante: A Pilgrimage to Ravenna by Emma Iadanza Student Essay The Photo-Sculptures of Domenico Mastroianni: Dante’s Divina Commedia by Emma Iadanza Events Copyright © 2021 Vassar College Libraries

Preface

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The great Italian poet Dante Alighieri lived from 1265-1321, and therefore this year, 2021, marks the 700th anniversary of his death. All around the world events and activities have been planned to mark this occasion. As the anniversary approached, it seemed necessary for Vassar to consider taking part in these ob- servances as well. Dante, after all, has been taught at the college from its earliest days, and faculty, students, and graduates have interacted with his works in important and noteworthy ways.

Celebrating Dante at Vassar represents one way that the college is taking part in Dante activities this year. It is not meant to be a comprehensive study of interactions with Dante at the college; instead it aims to present essays that investigate key moments and aspects, written from several perspectives. Simona Bondavalli discusses the Dante Pilgrimage of 1921 and the early history of teaching Italian. Nancy Bisaha reflects on the interest in Dante among historians at Vassar and beyond. Ron Patkus presents highlights of the rare book collection in the Archives & Special Collections Library that relate to Dante, and Elizabeth Nogrady shares some resources in the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center.

Thanks to faculty Simona Bondavalli, Eugenio Giusti, and Alberto Geimi of the Italian Department and Nancy Bisaha of History Department for their work in planning and also producing the essays that follow. Library colleagues have contributed too, including Ron Patkus (essay), Sharyn Cadogan (digital imaging), Nicole Scalessa (website), and student assistant Emma Iadanza. Finally, thanks to Daniel Lasecki and Aidan Gallagher of the Communications Office for designing and producing the accompanying publication.

ANDREW ASHTON
Director of the Libraries