Dante’s Paradiso is the least studied and the least understood of the three parts of the Commedia. Yet it is arguably the most important for the dynamism and originality of the literary, theological, and philosophical inquiries that take place there. It is also a singularly important interpretive guide for a full understanding of the entire Commedia. It is a poem that asks to be tackled by a community of engaged readers: here it’s your opportunity! This year-long series of webinar workshops led by world-renowned scholars will take you on a deep reading of the Paradiso and an unforgettable journey to the heart of Dante’s universe. This virtual series will reward both first-time and expert readers of the Commedia with an opportunity to delve deep into one of the most complex and daring speculative poems ever written. We’ll be meeting online almost every other week from October to May. See the Project Paradiso page for full schedule.

Brenda Deen Schildgen is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature, emerita at UC Davis. Among her books are the most recent, Dante and Violence: Domestic, Civic, Cosmic (2021); Divine Providence, A History: Bible, Virgil, Orosius, Augustine, and Dante (2012); Other Renaissances: A New Approach to World Literature (2006); Heritage or Heresy: Destruction and Preservation of Art and Architecture in Europe (2008); Dante and the Orient (2002), translated into Italian (2016) and Arabic (2009).