From the 1st to the 20th of July the Parco archeologico del Colosseo, in collaboration with Electa, is promoting and hosting DANTE ASSOLUTO, a festival at the Basilica of Maxentius to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the death of the “Supreme Poet” Dante Alighieri.

During the seven evenings in programme, both Italian and foreign authors will pay homage to Dante with unpublished texts inspired by a canto, a verse, a character of the Divine Comedy or another of the poet’s works to offer a new “author’s reading”. They will testify to the variety and depth of content and the enduring relevance of Dante’s work, which, as well as being an inescapable reference point for our linguistic and cultural identity, continues to stimulate contemporary sensitivity and creativity and to be a breeding ground for literary, historical, scientific, ethical, legal, political, psychological and artistic reflection.
On the stage at Maxentius, along with the authors, performers from the worlds of theatre, cinema and music will celebrate Dante’s work, reinterpreting it and giving it new life thanks to its intrinsic immortality, which we also find indestructible in popular culture and Italian pop music.

The protagonists with their unpublished works written for the occasion are Italian language scholar Giuseppe Antonelli and writers Piero Trellini, Giulio Leoni, Javier Cercas, Roberto Saviano, Melania Mazzucco, Alessandro Piperno, Aldo Cazzullo, Fabio Stassi, Edoardo Albinati, Stefania Auci and Nicola Lagioia; scholars Lina Bolzoni, Giulio Ferroni and Franco Cardini and poets Valerio Magrelli, Ana Blandiana, Daniela Attanasio, Silvia Bre, Nicola Bultrini, Claudio Damiani, Simone Di Biaso, Sara Ventroni. With them also the actress Monica Guerritore with a theatrical text of which she is the author.
Dante’s readings are entrusted to the voices of Chiara Valerio, Sergio Rubini, Michela Murgia, Valeria Solarino, Anna Bonaiuto, Maddalena Crippa, Giorgio Colangeli, Lucia Mascino, Lunetta Savino.
On all evenings live music with musicians Francesco De Gregori, Orchestra popolare italiana directed by Ambrogio Sparagna, Murubutu and Claver Gold, Cristiano Godano, H.E.R., Giovanni Succi, Fulminacci, Riccardo Manzi, Erica Scherl, Pierpaolo Ranieri, Alessandra Celletti, Rita Marcotulli, Andrea Damiano, Sandra Castellano, Alessandra Bossa, Alessandro Gwis, Michele Rabbia who will accompany the words of authors and readings by actresses and actors.

BOOKINGS

All evenings are free with mandatory reservations through the platform Eventbrite. Reservations can be made from the tenth day before each evening, subject to availability.

Read here (Italian)

The Festival, under the artistic direction of Maria Ida Gaeta, has the patronage of the Committee Dante700 and is realised in collaboration with FUIS (Federazione Unitaria Italiana Scrittori). For the inaugural evening, it avails itself of the collaboration of the MAR Art Museum of Ravenna and, for the evening of the 5th July, of the support of the Centro per il libro e la lettura and the ADI (Association of Italianists). The event’s partner is Ferrovie dello Stato. Mediapartner RaiCultura, Rai5 and Rai Storia.