Museo Dante

Ravenna's Dante Museum preserves relics, images and documents connected with the poet and the city's long history of commemorating him.

Why it matters

Founded for the 1921 six-hundredth anniversary of Dante's death, the museum records how Ravenna gathered and interpreted objects associated with the poet. Its collections complement the nearby tomb and reflect the city's role as the place where Dante died and was buried.

What to notice

The collection includes the fir-wood box that held Dante's remains from 1677 to 1865 and the wooden ark used to display them after their rediscovery. Portraits trace the visual tradition shaped by Boccaccio's description of Dante. Wreaths sent by Italian emigrant associations in Montevideo document the poet's international legacy. Multimedia interpretation relates the Divine Comedy to the history of its reception.

Context and history

The museum was established in 1921 through the work of superintendent Ambrogio Annoni and historian Corrado Ricci, who assembled relics and tributes sent to Ravenna for the centenary. It occupies part of the former Franciscan convent beside Dante's tomb. The collection was reorganized several times, including a renewal for the 2021 septcentenary, and is managed by the Comune di Ravenna with Casa Dante.