

'From a little spark may burst a flame'
One of my favourite Florentine sculptures - 'Monument to Dante' by Enrico Pazzi (1857-1865) - set upon the steps of the magnificent Basilica di Santa Croce. In the glorious late Autumn sun his arresting profile and intense stare stop me in my tracks. Just what is this famous Medieval Italian poet, philosopher and scholar thinking? The author of La Commedia (The Divine Comedy), considered a masterwork of world literature, Dante Alighieri was born Durante Alighieri in Florence