Dante’s House Museum

The initial chamber provides an introduction to the life of the poet, uncovering intriguing aspects of his personality. The walls are adorned with a dual timeline, delineating the chronological sequence of Dante's major life events within their historical context. A remarkable holographic display, known as a holobox, presents a captivating 3D reconstruction of Dante's face, created using iconographic sources. This projection can be rotated, allowing viewers to observe Dante's well-known side profile and explore the reconstruction from various angles.

Thanks to a wall-mounted touch screen, an interactive bookshelf offers visitors the opportunity to explore three virtual volumes with a simple touch. The volumes include "The Alighieri Family," featuring a family tree and biographical profiles of Dante's relatives; "Dante as Politician," delving into Florence's internal divisions and the poet's role in the city's politics; and "The True Face of Dante," uncovering intriguing anecdotes about the poet's personality from his early biographers.

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In this immersive room, a rear-projection video wall showcases the Battle of Campaldino. Through a combination of drone footage, actors, computer graphics animations, and original music, visitors are transported back in time to experience the notorious, bloody battle. This presentation focuses on a dagger discovered on the battlefields, which holds symbolic significance.

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Backlit panels on the walls display the coats of arms of the Florentine Guilds. An interactive table allows visitors to engage with new content in an entertaining way. The "Guilds" section invites visitors to match the coats of arms with the respective guilds using NFC tags. Questions and anecdotes about the Guilds in medieval Florence are revealed as visitors interact with the table. The following sections explore Florence's trades, the influential gold Florin currency during Dante's time, and offer visitors the chance to customize their experience by creating their own coat of arms.

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This room provides insights into medieval life in Florence, its social and political organization. Videos projected onto a scale model of the city delve into Florence's main buildings of power and prestige, its ancient districts, and the internal conflicts between families and political factions that divided the city.

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Dedicated to Dante's exile, this room highlights a significant turning point in the poet's life. A backlit panel presents a timeline of Dante's known stages of exile and the cities where he found refuge. Displayed volumes include replicas of the ancient Nail Book and the Codex Trivulzianus 1080, a manuscript of the Comedy. Touch screens provide access to digitized documents and contents related to Dante's exile. Additionally, a Virtual Reality (VR) station offers visitors a glimpse of medieval life within a beautifully adorned space overlooking a courtyard, allowing them to immerse themselves in a virtual environment accompanied by exclusive background music.

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The initial chamber on the second floor delves into the poet's literary and philosophical education, exploring the origins of the Italian vulgar tongue, the characteristics of the Dolce Stil Novo, and Dante's connections with other contemporary poets.

Through a wall-mounted screen and a proximity sensor, Brunetto Latini, Dante's teacher, enlightens visitors about the profound impact that Dante's poetry has had on the Italian language. Two small touch screens provide information on four poets closely associated with Dante: Guido Guinizelli, Guido Cavalcanti, Cino da Pistoia, and Cecco Angiolieri. Visitors can read selected poems by these authors, accompanied by detailed content and graphics inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts.

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A door in room 5 reveals three slits at varying heights, catering to different types of visitors. Through these slits, visitors can catch a glimpse of a replica of Dante's bedroom, complete with a bed and writing desk. In this intimate setting, the poet is depicted with his back turned, as if captured in a private moment.

Upon entering this room, visitors step into a captivating and isolated environment designed to offer a truly immersive experience of the three canticles of the Divine Comedy. This is where the visit reaches its emotional climax. With the lights dimmed, a large book in the room comes to life through an impressive video-mapping projection, recreating Dante's journey. The pages of the book appear to turn on their own as vivid images of hell, purgatory, and paradise unfold, accompanied by carefully chosen verses from Dante's masterpiece, narrated by the voice of Francesco Pannofino. The figures depicted on the pages, sourced from numerous iconographic references and illustrations of the Divine Comedy, are brought to life with remarkable realism through meticulous computer graphics. The experience is enhanced by a specially composed soundtrack and evocative musical accompaniment, creating a deeply moving and immersive moment.

The entire left wall is covered by an illuminated bookcase displaying numerous editions of the Divine Comedy in various languages and dialects, showcasing how Dante's legacy has permeated cultures worldwide (Turone collection - donation). On the right-hand wall, three large illustrations depict Dante's realms. Finally, the starry sky adorning the ceiling evokes a sense of wonder, featuring a realistic rendition of the Milky Way that symbolically references the importance of stars in Dante's poetry.

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