Literature and Poetry Before Dante

Tuesday 13th May 2025 at 18:00

The Duecento was a transitional moment for writing in the vernacular in Italy. New schools and styles of both poetry and prose were flourishing, and Florence was one of the most important literary centers in the entire peninsula. This session will examine the verses of Guido Guinizelli and Guido Cavalcanti as well as the dolce stil novo—the ‘sweet new style’ that will dominate the discourse in the latter half of the century. We will also look at the Duecento’s most successful example of vernacular prose in the fascinating short story collection called the Novellino.