Statue of Dante

The statue of Dante is a monument in honor of Dante Alighieri. Initially it was placed in the center of the square, but it ended up being moved to the front of the façade of the Basilica. The reason for the statue was to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of the poet Dante, and the pedestal was designed by Luigi del Sarto. The poet has been recognized above all for writing the Divine Comedy, one of the fundamental works of the transition from medieval to Renaissance thought, in addition to being a crowning achievement of universal literature.

It was built in 1865 by the Italian sculptor Enrico Pazzi, an author who subsisted on small private projects for tomb monuments and decorations for houses. This pedestal has four Marzocco lions, a heraldic lion, symbol of the city, which has shields with the minor works of Dante and the symbols of several Italian cities that participated in the total cost of the sculpture.

One of the curiosities surrounding this character is the place where his remains rest. Pope Leo remains of Dante. It is said that his remains rest in Ravenna, his city of exile where he died in 1321, which is why the tension between the two cities is latent. Local stories say that his remains were hidden in a Franciscan convent in Ravenna, until in the mid-19th century they were rediscovered and preserved in a discreet street in the city, away from the waves of tourists.