Inferno

Dante's epic poem Inferno is brought to the reader complete in this superbly translated edition. As the opening part of Dante's epic of poetry, The Divine Comedy, The Inferno introduces Dante as a character. We see the poet lost in a dark wood, and promptly confronted by three mighty beasts: a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf. Symbolic of sinful behaviour and desires, the trio of creatures pursue Dante into darkness, wherein Virgil - a deceased Roman poet representing human cognition and reason - appears. Initially unsure of Virgil's intentions, Dante is persuaded when the poet mentions that Beatrice Portinari, a young woman Dante knew and a symbol of love, sent him to find Dante with instructions from the Virgin Mary. It is thus that their journey to the underworld begins, with Virgil to act as Dante's guide through the malevolent environs.

Founded in 1889 by a group of intellectuals led by Giosue Carducci and established as a Charitable Trust with Royal Decree No. 347 of 18 July 1893, it also aims to "protect and spread the Italian language and culture across the world, reviving the spiritual ties of compatriots abroad with the mother country and nurturing love and admiration for the Italian civilisation among foreigners".