Source : Instagram @ paintingdetail

Dantista and lecturer in Italian Studies at the University of Warwick , Federica Coluzzi talks to La Civetta about her new project which aims to bring back visibility to Dantisti and their scholarship .

ailing from Rome , academic Federica Coluzzi has made her mark on Dante studies in the UK . Dr Coluzzi ’ s interests in 19th century female academia , comparative literature and Dante studies intersect and are consolidated in her new project : The Modern Beatrices Archive . The project , which aims to fuel research in all directions , consists of building a database using bibliographies compiled in the 1900s . It differs from traditional projects in that it works with big data , seeking to connect female Dante writers within a broader network using computational methods such as GIS mapping .

With a background in comparative literature , Dr Coluzzi didn ’ t originally plan to pursue Dante studies , however , her love for Dante originated from her schooling years and was something she kept returning to over the years . Cemented in the Italian system ,

“ Dante is a route to the Italian identity ” Coluzzi explains . The first vernacular text ever written , La Divina Commedia , has contributed significantly to the development of the Italian language and should be read by anyone with an interest in Italian language or culture . Coluzzi affirms , “ the product of [ La Divina Commedia ] is a beautiful , resounding voice that came to be our own . So when we say mamma , when we say papa , when we say merda , when we say trombetta , we are talking like Dante , we are talking Dante ’ s language ”.

She also talks of the significance of Dante as a cultural icon , not just a historical figure but a

But it ’ s not a monument , it ’ s not just a monument . It ’ s a living and breathing thing that ’ s part of us , that ’ s part of our imagery , and that generated so much more literature and artistic response across nations , across cultures , across languages .”

Today , “ The Dante Girls Club ” is neither underrepresented nor overlooked . Dr Coluzzi explains , even though published female scholarship on Dante dates back to the 1800s ,

“ historically the female presence is not immediately visible ”. The 19th century was an important period for European female scholars as , for the first time , women were able to establish careers in writing ; shifting their literary endeavours from the private sphere to the public .

We know that contemporary female writers published scholarship in important journals

such as Il Giornale Dantesco , so Dr Coluzzi questions why their enduring reputation is limited to children ’ s adaptations , romanticisations and novelisations . The project aims to confront why the legacy of these women didn ’ t survive , in bringing back the recognition they once had : “ without a

Source : Federica Coluzzii comprehensive biographical and bibliographical analysis of what ’ s there , we will never know it .”

By unpacking gender bias and traditional marginalizations that female scholarship has confronted thus far , Coluzzi hopes the archive will provoke a rethinking of Dante studies in a broader sense . She hopes to add something to this chapter of women ’ s history , at home and further afield in revealing an extensive cultural landscape that had previously been forgotten about .

The project is due to launch fully in February , accompanied by an event due to take place at The London Library in March .

We encourage any fellow Dante enthusiasts interested in collaborating on the project to get in touch with Dr Coluzzi at : federica . coluzzi @ warwick . ac . uk

By Lily Wheeler ( She / Her ) // Final Year ; French , Spanish and Italian

Source : Instagram @ dante _ alighieri _ official

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