Dante Divine Comedy - Paradiso - Audio 4 player 4-CDSet

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Canto One.

The Ascent to the First Heaven. The Sphere of Fire.

Canto Two.

The First Heaven, the Moon: Spirits who, having taken Sacred Vows, were forced to violate them. The Lunar Spots.

Canto Three.

Piccarda Donati and the Empress Constance.

Canto Four.

Questionings of the Soul and of Broken Vows.

Canto Five.

Discourse of Beatrice on Vows and Compensations. Ascent to the Second Heaven, Mercury: Spirits who for the Love of Fame achieved great Deeds.

Canto Six.

Justinian. The Roman Eagle. The Empire. Romeo.

Canto Seven.

Beatrice's Discourse of the Crucifixion, the Incarnation, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Resurrection of the Body.

Canto Eight.

Ascent to the Third Heaven, Venus: Lovers. Charles Martel. Discourse on diverse Natures.

Canto Nine.

Cunizza da Romano, Folco of Marseilles, and Rahab. Neglect of the Holy Land.

Canto Ten.

The Fourth Heaven, the Sun: Theologians and Fathers of the Church. The First Circle. St. Thomas of Aquinas.

Canto Eleven. St. Thomas recounts the Life of St. Francis. Lament over the State of the Dominican Order.

Canto Twelve.

St. Buonaventura recounts the Life of St. Dominic. Lament over the State of the Franciscan Order. The Second Circle.

Canto Thirteen.

Of the Wisdom of Solomon. St. Thomas reproaches Dante's Judgement.

Canto Fourteen.

The Third Circle. Discourse on the Resurrection of the Flesh. The Fifth Heaven, Mars: Martyrs and Crusaders who died fighting for the true Faith. The Celestial Cross.

Canto Fifteen.

Cacciaguida. Florence in the Olden Time.

Canto Sixteen.

Dante's Noble Ancestry. Cacciaguida's Discourse of the Great Florentines.

Canto Seventeen.

Cacciaguida's Prophecy of Dante's Banishment.

Canto Eighteen.

The Sixth Heaven, Jupiter: Righteous Kings and Rulers. The Celestial Eagle. Dante's Invectives against ecclesiastical Avarice.

Canto Nineteen.

The Eagle discourses of Salvation, Faith, and Virtue. Condemnation of the vile Kings of A.D. 1300.

Canto Twenty.

The Seventh Heaven, Saturn: The Contemplative. The Celestial Stairway. St. Peter Damiano. His Invectives against the Luxury of the Prelates.

Canto Twenty One.

The Poet Statius. Praise of Virgil.

Canto Twenty Two.

St. Benedict. His Lamentation over the Corruption of Monks. The Eighth Heaven, the Fixed Stars.

Canto Twenty Three.

The Triumph of Christ. The Virgin Mary. The Apostles. Gabriel.

Canto Twenty Four.

The Radiant Wheel. St. Peter examines Dante on Faith.

Canto Twenty Five.

The Laurel Crown. St. James examines Dante on Hope. Dante's Blindness.

Canto Twenty Six.

St. John examines Dante on Charity. Dante's Sight. Adam.

Canto Twenty Seven.

St. Peter's reproof of bad Popes. The Ascent to the Ninth Heaven, the 'Primum Mobile.'

Canto Twenty Eight.

God and the Angelic Hierarchies.

Canto Twenty Nine.

Beatrice's Discourse of the Creation of the Angels, and of the Fall of Lucifer. Her Reproof of Foolish and Avaricious Preachers.

Canto Thirty.

The Tenth Heaven, or Empyrean. The River of Light. The Two Courts of Heaven. The White Rose of Paradise. The great Throne.

Canto Thirty One.

The Glory of Paradise. Departure of Beatrice. St. Bernard.

Canto Thirty Two.

St. Bernard points out the Saints in the White Rose.

Canto Thirty Three.

Prayer to the Virgin. The Threefold Circle of the Trinity. Mystery of the Divine and Human Nature.

Dante was born in 1265 and he tells us he was born under the sign of Gemini, placing his birthday in June, or late May. As an infant, Dante may have been originally christened 'Durante' in Florence's Baptistery, and the name Dante could be a shortened version of that name.

He was born into the prominent Alighieri family of Florence, with loyalties to the Guelfs, a political alliance that supported the Papacy. His father, Alighiero de Bellincione, was involved in a very complex opposition to the Ghibellines, who were backed by the Holy Roman Emperor. Dante's mother was Donna Bella degli Abati, died when Dante was 5 or 6 years old.

After the defeat of the Ghibellines by the Guelfs in 1289, the Guelfs themselves were divided into White Guelfs, who were wary of Papal influence, and Black Guelfs who continued to support the Papacy. Dante (a White Guelf) pretended that his family descended from the ancient Romans (Inferno, XV, 76), but the earliest relative he can mention by name is Cacciaguida degli Elisei (Paradiso, XV, 135), of no earlier than about 1100.

Not much is known about Dante's education, and it is presumed he studied at home. We know he studied Tuscan poetry, at a time when the Sicilian School (Scuola poetica siciliana).

When he was nine years old he met Beatrice Portinari, the daughter of Folco Portinari, with whom he fell in love "at first sight", and apparently without even having spoken to her. He saw her frequently after age 18, often exchanging greetings in the street, but he never knew her well.

When Dante was 12, in 1277, he was promised in marriage to Gemma di Manetto Donati, the daughter of Messer Manetto Donati. Dante had several sons with Gemma.

When 18, he met Guido Cavalcanti, Lapo Gianni, Cino da Pistoia, and soon after Brunetto Latini; together they became the leaders of Dolce Stil Nuovo (The Sweet New Style).

After Beatrice died in 1290, Dante tried to find a refuge in Latin literature. for a time, until he decided to dedicate himself fully, to philosophical studies. He took part in the disputes that the two principal monastic orders (Franciscan and Dominican) publicly or indirectly held in Florence, the former explaining the doctrine of the mystics and of San Bonaventura, the latter presenting Saint Thomas Aquinas' theories. His "excessive" passion for philosophy would later be criticized by Beatrice, in Purgatory.

Dante, like many Florentines of his day, became embroiled in the Guelf-Ghibelline conflict. He fought in the battle of Campaldino (June 11, 1289), with Florentine Guelf knights against Arezzo Ghibellines, then in 1294 he was among those knights who escorted Carlo Martello d'Anjou (son of Charles of Anjou) while he was in Florence. After the defeat of the Ghibellines, the Guelfs divided into two factions: the White Guelfs (Guelfi Bianchi), Dante's party, led by Vieri dei Cerchi, and the Black Guelfs (Guelfi Neri), led by Corso Donati.

A new government was installed of Black Guelfs, and Messer Cante dei Gabrielli di Gubbio was named Podestŕ (mayor). Dante was condemned to exile for two years, and to pay a huge amount of money. The poet was still in Rome, where the Pope had "suggested" he stay, and was therefore considered an absconder. He could not pay his fine and was finally condemned to perpetual exile. If he were ever caught by Florentine soldiers, he would have been summarily executed.

The poet took part in several attempts by the White Guelfs to regain the power they had lost, but these failed due to treachery. In 1310 Henry VII of Luxembourg, King of the Romans (Germany), was invading Italy; Dante saw in him the chance of revenge, so he wrote to him, violently inciting them to destroy the Black Guelfs.

In Florence Baldo d'Aguglione pardoned most of the White Guelfs in exile and allowed them to come back; however, Dante had gone beyond the pale in his violent letters to Arrigo (Henry VII), which was held against him. Dante was not recalled.

In 1312, Arrigo assaulted Florence and defeated the Black Guelfs. In 1313 Arrigo died, and with him any residual hope for Dante to see Florence again. He returned to Verona, where Cangrande I della Scala allowed him to live in a certain security and, presumably, in a fair amount of prosperity.

In 1315, Florence was forced by Uguccione della Faggiuola (the military officer controlling the town) to grant an amnesty to people in exile. Dante too was in the list of citizens to be pardoned. But Florence required that, apart from paying a sum of money, these citizens must also agree to be treated as public offenders, and to participate in a religious ceremony. Dante refused, preferring to remain in exile.

When Uguccione finally defeated Florence, Dante's death sentence was converted into confinement, at the sole condition that he go to Florence to swear that he would never enter the town again. When Dante didn't go, his condemnation to death was confirmed and extended to his sons.

Eventually, Florence came to regret Dante's exile. In 1829, a tomb was built for him in Florence in the basilica of Santa Croce. That tomb has been empty ever since, with Dante's body still remaining in its tomb in Ravenna.