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Constellation of Gemini
- Dante and Beatrice enter the Eighth Sphere of Heaven or Fixed Stars in the constellation of Gemini.
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Dante and Beatrice enter the Empyrean, which is where God, the saints, and the angels reside; it is above the nine heavenly spheres, but beyond both space and time.
Where Dante expects to see Beatrice, there appears instead a new guide for the final stage of the celestial voyage. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-53), a gentle father figure who directs Dante's sight to illustrious occupants of the rose (including Beatrice, now returned to her place), is assigned this role primarily for his special devotion to the ...
Leaving the material spheres behind, Beatrice and Dante enter the Empyrean, where God, the angels, and the saints reside beyond space and time. Beatrice instructs Dante to drink from a river of light so that his intellect will be able to grasp what he sees here.
The Paradiso’s dance of the gaze around Beatrice is a way of claiming that, if an object is “new” enough — as Beatrice is defined a “cosa nova” in the canzone Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore — , then that object remains present and undiminished, indeed enhanced by the passage of time.
- First Sphere
- Second Sphere
- Third Sphere
- Fourth Sphere
- Fifth Sphere
- Sixth Sphere
- Seventh Sphere
- Eighth Sphere
- Ninth Sphere
When entering the “Realm of Heaven”, Dante and Beatrice enter the First Sphere of Heaven or the Moon. Here, they see the souls of those who failed to keep their vows including the sister of Dante’s friend Forese Donati, Piccarda Donati and Queen Constance of Sicily, both of whom were forced from their convents. Beatrice explains to Dante why their ...
In the Second Sphere of Heaven or Mercury, Dante and his guide Beatrice meet the souls of those who were just and righteous during their earthly lives but were primarily driven by ambition. The poet speaks to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian who tells him the history of the Roman Empire, speaking, among other things, about Julius Caesar, Augustus, J...
The Third Sphere of Heaven or Venus is home to the souls of lovers who “earned” their place in heaven with their love for God and humanity. Here, Dante meets the young prince Charles Martel of Anjou who speaks about the influence of factors other than heredity on an individual’s character and qualities. The Italian poet also meets the soul of Cuniz...
When reaching the Fourth Sphere of Heaven or the Sun, Dante and Beatrice are surrounded by a crown consisting of St. Thomas Aquinas and eleven other souls of wise men who also include Boethius, King Solomon, Peter Lombard and the Venerable Bede, to mention some of the most famous ones. Then a second crown of twelve wise men appears with St. Bonaven...
The Fifth Sphere of Heaven or Mars is home to holy warriors, whose souls are forming the shape of a cross. Here, Dante is approached by the soul of his great-great-grandfather Cacciaguida who was killed during the Second Crusade. He speaks about Florence’s glorious (and very idealized) past and criticizes its later decline. Also, he (correctly) pre...
The Sixth Sphere of Heaven or Jupiter is “inhabited” by the souls of just rulers. They spell out the Latin phrase “diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram” (English: “cherish justice, you who judge the earth”) and then form a giant eagle that speaks to Dante about divine justice and inscrutability. Rulers who are identified to form the eagle includ...
In the Seventh Sphere of Heaven or Saturn, Dante encounters the spirits of people who dedicated their lives to prayer, climbing up and down a golden ladder. In this sphere, the poet speaks to St. Peter Damian who points out to the corruption of the Church but he also meets St. Benedict who is infuriated with the Church’s moral decline as well. St. ...
Dante and Beatrice enter the Eighth Sphere of Heaven or Fixed Stars in the constellation of Gemini. Here, the poet and his guide see the Virgin Mary and other Biblical saints including the apostles of Peter, John and James who test Dante on faith, love and hope. Then Dante sees Adam who tells him how old he is, how long he lived in Eden, why God go...
The last of the 9 Spheres of Heaven or the Primum Mobile is also the last stop before the Empyrean and the last of the physical Heavens as the Empyrean is beyond space and time. After a brief discussion with Beatrice on the place they’ve come to, Dante sees an intensely bright light surrounded by nine circles which, as he soon learns, are the nine ...
When he approached the summit of Mount Purgatory in Purgatorio, Dante suddenly turned to see that his faithful guide, Virgil, was no longer at his side. Now, in the Empyrean, something similar happens, as Beatrice returns to her rightful place in order to resume her praise of God.
2 days ago · Beatrice also discourses on the nature of creation and the fall of humanity and denounces useless theological speculation. Leaving the material spheres behind, Beatrice and Dante enter the Empyrean, where God, the angels, and the saints reside beyond space and time.
