Explore how Dante’s writing blends science and poetry to reveal a 14th‑century view of medicine, biology, and the cosmos.
In this lecture, the speaker surveys Dante’s knowledge across many scientific fields—from medicine and anatomy to physiology, embryology, botany, astronomy, and meteorology. It traces how the poet drew on Bologna’s medical schools, Parisian learning, and the era’s growing scientific spirit to illuminate the Divine Comedy and the Convivio with precise, sometimes ahead-of-its-time insights.
- See how Dante is read as a systematic observer of mind and matter, weaving medical and physiological ideas into his verse.
- Learn examples of how embryology, anatomy, and plant science appear in the Divine Comedy and other works.
- Discover connections between Dante’s poetry and later scientific thought, including classifications in botany and early concepts of evolution and gravity.
- Understand the context of medieval education, universities, and the role of physicians and scholars in shaping knowledge.
Ideal for readers of Dante, the history of science, and medieval intellectual history.