26 May Poppi
Poppi, in my opinion, is the prettiest place, landscape wise, that we have visited. I have really been enjoying the beauty of the nature that surrounds this town. More than that, however, I really enjoyed visiting The Castle of Romena, where Dante was inspired to write his Divine Comedy. The castle was owned by the Guido family in the 13th century and Dante came to stay here during his exile from Florence.
The Prison Tower of The Castle of Romena has been said to be one of Dante’s inspirations for the Divine Comedy because it was separated into three different sections. The lowest level was reserved for the condemned prisoners who committed the worst crimes. The middle level was used to jail those who committed intermediate crimes. The highest level was used to house those who committed petty crimes. Not only have these three levels been said to have inspired Dante to write his Divine Comedy in three works, Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise, but also may be one of the reasons that Dante made sure that the punishments depicted in Inferno fit each sinner’s crimes. The worse their crime was, the deeper into hell an individual was sent and the more gruesome their fate became.
Overall, I found Poppi to be an incredibly beautiful place. I feel extremely lucky to have visited the castle that Dante himself spent time at and to get a deeper glimpse into what inspired his amazing poetry. I have also enjoyed how peaceful this area is.
