Matelda in the Terrestrial Paradise

Diana Glenn (Flinders University) ABSTRACT This analysis of the enigmatic figure of Matelda, guardian of the Terrestrial Paradise in Dante's Purgatorio, considers both the unresolved question of Matelda's historical identity, in articular !hether Dante is alluding to the historical ersonage, "ountess Matilda of Tuscany (#$%&'###(), and the numerous critical glosses that have emerged over the years, !hereby Matelda has been inter reted as a symbolic figure, for e)am le, as the biblical ty ology of the active*contem lative life, as the re resentation of human !isdom, or in a variety of other symbolic guises+ ,hilst alluding to recognisable idyllic oetic images, such as thedonna angelicata of the vernacular tradition, Dante's conce tualisation of Matelda is nevertheless aligned to the ilgrim' oet's o!n develo ment in via of a redem tive oetics in !hich the !riter articulates an urgent message of reform, at both the secular and ecclesiastical levels+ The lin-ing of Matelda !ith the notion of the loss of the rela sarian state of human-ind's innocence and her su ervision of the enitential cleansing rites erformed on Dante' rotagonist, in antici ation of his ascent to Paradise in the com any of .eatrice, re resent crucial moments in Dante's ma ing out of rudential history for his readers and his call for a recovery of "hristian values+

Dante's ortrayal of the figure of Matelda in the Terrestrial Paradise has been variously inter reted as an image of rimeval innocence, as the donna angelicata of the stilnovistic tradition, as the biblical ty ology of the active*contem lative life or as a re resentation of human !isdom+ /#0 1o!ever, any attem t to address the question of Matelda's historical identity is fraught !ith difficulty since no scholar !ho has entered the minefield of debate on this elusive figure has, to date, rovided an indis utable and convincing solution to the mystery of her true identity+ 2rguably, the matter may be left in sus ense !ith no ill effect on the character !ho a ears in Dante's oem+ 3evertheless, !ith a number of hy otheses in circulation, not to mention earnest acrosticisms and anagrams of her name as ossible fonts of truth, /40 modern'day Dante scholars entering the critical fray cannot ignore the lethora of Mateldas that emerges from the centuries of dedicated scholarshi + These dramatis personae include the celebrated Matilda, "ountess of "anossa -no!n as "ountess Matilda of Tuscany (#$%&'###(), the visionary 5a)on nuns Matilda (or Mechtildis) of 1ac-enborn (d+ #467) and Matilda of Magdeburg (#4$8'#474), 5aint Matilda (c+ 76('6&7), mother of 9m eror :tto ;, /<0 one of the cast of unnamed !omen !ho feature in Dante's Vita nuova, from the screen lady to =iovanna, and further suggestions that have surfaced over the years, for e)am le, that Matelda is Dante's !ife, =emma Donati, Dante's mother, donna .ella, .eatrice's sister, >anna, Mary Magdalen, or the figure of ?ahab+ /%0 :n the !hole, the early commentators, !ho !ere -een to sho! an unbro-en attern in Dante's selection of real'life ersonages, su orted the theory that Dante !as alluding to the !ealthy and influential "ountess Matilda of Tuscany (#$%&'###(), daughter of .eatrice of

@orraine+ "ountess Matilda's generosity to the Pa al cause at the time of Po e =regory >;; is !ell'remembered and her endo!ment of vast tracts of land to the Pa acy during a time of tension !ith the 9m ire enhanced immeasurably its o!er and restige+ 5he !as a maAor figure in a al and im erial olitics for decadesB an authoritative layer in the ;m erial'Pa al struggle that culminated in 9m eror 1enry ;>'s submission to Po e =regory >;; in #$88+ Through her inheritance, the "ountess acquired large holdings in Tuscany, @iguria, @ombardy, Modena and Ferrara, all of !hich she donated to the 1oly 5ee before her death+ T!ice'married but !ith no issue, "ountess Matilda !as -no!n for her shar intellect, strength of character and ability to !ield considerable o!er and influence, thus maintaining a olitical role as an ally to the a acy !ithout relinquishing her autonomy+ ;n echoing the name of "ountess Matilda, could Dante be suggesting the authority of an influential olitical figureC :ne might argue that the choice of a strongly artisan historical figure such as "ountess Matilda contrasts !ith Dante's universal olitical theorising since the "ountess' bequests of territory could be com ared to the damaging effects of the Donation of "onstantine and the notion of the acquisition of tem oralities in the "hurchD Equella dote * che da te rese il rimo ricco atreFE (Inf+ G;G, ##&'##8)+ /(0 1o!ever, according to Hoan Ferrante, "ountess Matilda acted in good faithD E@eaving her lands to the church !as a mista-e, but !ell'intentioned, li-e "onstantine's Donation, !hich !as far more harmful but does not deny him heavenE+ /&0 2t the same time "ountess Matilda's resence in the garden could be inter reted as an idealiIed e)am le of a olitical leader !ho coo erates !ith but also maintains her inde endence from "hrist's >icar such that she is not subservient to the "hurch's dominion and earthly regnum+ ;n the early art of last century, a variety of critical o inion su orted the vie! that Matelda !as based on the historical E5ignora di "anossaE as 2lfonso .ertoldi terms her, /80 !hile .runo 3ardi asserts that the un!illingness of some modern'day critics to endorse "ountess Matilda as a candidate for identification as the figure in the garden is related to the discovery of later historical evidence su orting her allegiance to the Po e+ /70 Hohn 5cott observesD E.y introducing the Pilgrim to the trium hal rocession, and to .eatrice, Matelda offers him a vision of the right relationshi bet!een the active life and the "hurch on earthE+ /60 Matelda in 9den could thus be an idealised historical ersonage !ith lin-s to a reform a acy+ /#$0 Mindful of such ossibilities, Dante's creation of a character dra!n from the formidable ersonal attributes of the "ountess Matilda !ould serve as a !orthy corollary to .eatrice, !hile signalling that Dante's transitional e) erience in Purgatory is closely lin-ed to his a!areness of the olitical e)igencies of his society+ Te)tually, ho!ever, an incontrovertible lin- bet!een Matelda and a !ell'-no!n historical character, or the soul of a erson !ith !hom Dante !as acquainted, remains elusive+ /##0 Pitted against the bevy of Mateldas advanced by commentators is the school of critical thought that maintains that Matelda is a symbolic figure only+ 1ere, too, the theory may be further divided into three basic oints of vie!D #+ Matelda is lin-ed to @eah in Purgatorio GG>;; (!ho symboliIes the active life)B 4+ Matelda re resents the urifying rites that Dante and all the souls in Purgatory must undergoB <+ Matelda acts as an interim guide and authority bet!een >irgil's relinquishing of the tas- and .eatrice's assum tion of it+

@in-ed to the symbolic model is the ro osal that Matelda is the ersonification of (i) Philoso hy, that is, the Donna gentile of Dante's imaginative facultyB /#40 (ii) the !isdom of the :ld Testament (Ecclesiasticus 4%D('%4 and Proverbs 7D44'<#)B (iii) human !isdom that recogniIes the "hristian =od ' an intermediary osition bet!een >irgil's agan !isdom and .eatrice's divinely'infused !isdomB /#<0 (iv) an original state of human innocence, or lastly (v) original Austice, !hereby she is lin-ed to the figure of the star'maiden 2straea (Monarchia ;, )i, #)+ The latter theory, advanced by "harles 5ingleton, asserted that Matelda figured Ethat erfection of human nature !hich man enAoyed in 9den before his fallE+ /#%0 ;n contrast to other figures in the Purgatorio, no biogra hical information on Matelda is rovided during her encounter !ith Dante+ ;ndeed, the Poet does not name Matelda until !ell after her first encounter !ith him in the garden and then in an informal !ay only, by means of .eatrice, EPriega * Matelda che 'l ti dicaE (Purg+ GGG;;;, ##7'##6)+ 3onetheless, the solitary Ebella donnaE has a strong im act on DanteB visually and aurally, by means of her dance'li-e movement and songB through her demeanour that embodies the urity of the rela sarian 9denic state !hile, at the same time, im arting -no!ledge that is universal and timeless, a divinely'besto!ed !isdom of the ages and, lastly, through the carrying out of her official duties in re aring Dante for the final stages of his Aourney through the urgatorial realm in order that he may ascend !ith .eatrice to Paradise+ The figure of Matelda first a ears to the Pilgrim in the guise of a beautiful young !oman !ho sings to herself !hile ic-ing !ondrous flo!ers along the ban-s of the river @ethe in the Terrestrial Paradise (Purg. GG>;;;, <8'%4)+ 2 short !hile later, Dante ma-es an analogy bet!een the young !oman and Proser ina (Perse hone), daughter of 9arth, !ho !as snatched by 1ades to become his bride in the Under!orld (Metamorphoses >, <6#'<6%)+ Proser ina (or >er) symboliIes the coming of 5 ring (Purg+ GG>;;;, %6'(#)+ Matelda's luminous gaIe is subsequently com ared to the goddess >enus, !ho falls under the s ell of 2donis' beauty after she is ierced accidentally !ith one of "u id's darts (Purg+ GG>;;;, &%' &&)+ Dante, in !anting to reach the side of the river !here Matelda has been gathering fioretti, states that his desire to be !ith Matelda is com arable to that of the tragic @eander im atient to Aoin his beloved 1ero a!aiting him on the o osite ban- of the 1elles ont (8$'8()+ 2lthough the ,ayfarer demonstrates his eagerness to arta-e of the !onders abounding in the garden, his desire must be curbed until he has been fully re ared and instructed by the lady+ ;n Purgatorio GG>;;;, Matelda's lucid e) lanation of the natural and divine forces at !or- in the garden (Eche uote disnebbiar vostro intellettoE, 7#), is receded by a classical analogy !ith Perse hone, not imagined in her adult role as Jueen of the Under!orld (Eregina de l'etterno iantoE, Inf. ;G, %%), but ictured in the last moments of her girlhood innocence Aust rior to her -idna ing and forced descent to 2vernus+ Thus Matelda evo-es the notion of rimordial innocenceD the young maiden Perse hone in the act of gathering s ringtime flo!ers+ Matelda's e) ository monologue then concludes !ith the corollary that the divina foresta !as erha s the source of ins iration for the oets of antiquity !hen they imagined a =olden 2ge of rimeval innocenceD
Juelli ch'anticamente oetaro l'et de l'oro e suo stato felice, forse in Parnaso esto loco sognaro+ Jui fu innocente l'umana radiceB qui rimavera sem re e ogne fruttoB nettare questo di che ciascun diceE+ (Purg+ GG>;;;, #<6'#%%)

The descri tion contains echoes of :vid's lyric evocation of the =olden 2ge in the first booof MetamorphosesD The earth itself, !ithout com ulsion, untouched by the hoe, unfurro!ed by any share, roduced all things s ontaneously /+++0 ;t !as a season of everlasting s ring, !hen eaceful Ie hyrs, !ith their !arm breath, caressed the flo!ers that s rang u !ithout having been lanted+ (#$#'#$<B #$&'#$6) /#(0 The smiling res onse of >irgil and 5tatius to the notion of a agan refiguration of human-ind's state of ha iness and earthly erfection in 9den closely follo!s the announcement in Purgatorio GG>;; of Dante's liberation from sin (Elibero, dritto e sano tuo arbitrioE, #%$)+ ;n recalling the =olden 2ge of humanity and the !isdom of the ancients, Matelda is re aring the Pilgrim' oet for his o!n e) erience of inner Aoy and divine revelation as one !ho recogniIes that !hile the rela sarian state of innocence is lost to human-ind forever, nevertheless, Dante, after !itnessing the mystical Procession and its revelations concerning the arlous state of affairs bet!een "hurch and 5tate, !ill relay a message of ho e and reform to the living+ ;n the o ening lines of the subsequent canto, Matelda is lin-ed to the pastorella theme of Dante's contem oraries, the donna innamorata, and thence to an image from classical times of nym hs roaming freely through !oodlandsD
"antando come donna innamorata, contin col fin di sue aroleD 'Beati quorum tecta sunt peccata!'+ 9 come ninfe che si givan sole er le salvatiche ombre, disando qual di veder, qual di fuggir lo sole, allor si mosse contra 'l fiume, andando su er la rivaB e io ari di lei, (Purg+ GG;G, #'7)

The o ening image recalls the !ords of "avalcanti's Ecantava come fosse 'nnamorataE (vs+ 8) in the oem In un boschetto trova pasturella+ /#&0 ;n his conce tualiIation of Matelda and her role, Dante suggests, in the one e isode, mythological and literary antecedents, the themes of Parnassus and the =olden 2ge of oetry !ith an allusion to !ell'-no!n classical lovers and elements borro!ed from a familiar contem orary genre and location, the topos of the Elocus amoenusE+ The bella donna of Dante's imagination emanates an air of both innocence and authority and fulfils a s ecific divinely'a ointed tas- since she is invested !ith su erior intellectual ca abilities and a mature -no!ledge of the henomena in the 9arthly Paradise (E urgher la nebbia che ti fiedeE, GG>;;;, 6$)+ ;t !ill be Matelda's tas- to clarify Dante's doubts regarding the origin of the rivers and the movement of the !ind in the marvellous garden ato the mountain !hich, as 5tatius has informed him reviously, is not affected by atmos heric henomena (Purg+ GG;, %<'(%)+ Moreover she !ill instruct Dante and lead him to the candelabra (a source of light during the allegorical rocession), clarify his mental confusion, soothe him !ith her song and lead him to !here he !ill drin- of the divine !aters that flo! in the garden+ /#80 ;n this res ect her duties and function go beyond the ossible range of res onsibilities that an ordinary urgatorial soul could be e) ected to erform and she carries out the im ortant ba tismal'li-e rene!al of Dante (and the silent 5tatius) in the !aters of 9uno (Purg+ GGG;;;, #%4'#%()+ ;n the fragrant garden filled !ith bird'song, Matelda's smiling demeanour and radiant

e) ression are a source of delight to Dante, an une) ected gift of loveliness Edi levar gli occhi suoi mi fece donoE (GG>;;;, &<), and although she features in si) cantos, remaining in the Pilgrim's com any, her hysiognomy is never described in detail+ This is because Matelda's desirable resence, !hile suggestive of a s ectrum of recognisable, idyllic oetic images of the female form, combines a natural human form !ith a divine and incorru tible nature+ Matelda a ears self'contained and self'reliant in all her actions as she sings to herself and is immersed in gathering flo!ers from the garden+ Furthermore, she refers to her o!n in!ard delight by mentioning the :ld Testament salm Delectasti (GG>;;;, 7$'7#), and her actions and ministering to the Pilgrim can be seen as antici ating .eatrice's tas- and her initiation of Dante to the delights of Paradise+ Thus the figure of Matelda combines an inde endent s irit and edifying influence !ith an o en e) ression of divinely'infused Aoy+ Dante's Matelda has te)tual lin-s to both the classical Perse hone (rene!al and ne! life) /#70 and to the .iblical idea of a figura or an event that re ares one for the fulfilment of another event, since her a earance in the oem is receded by the ro hetic dream of @eah, and her active resence has been inter reted as a fulfilment of that dream (Purg+ GG>;;, #$$' #$7)+ The :ld Testament lin-ing of the t!o sisters @eah and ?achel, symbols of the active and contem lative life, has its counter art in the 3e! Testament !ith the sisters Martha and Mary+ /#60 ;n the midst of gathering flo!ers, both Matelda (as an active resence) and @eah (in oneiric guise) a ear to Dante bathed in the !armth of >enus' re'da!n rays+ ,hilst it is evident from the te)t that Matelda's a earance is lin-ed to the idea of the active life, she is also engaged in enlightening and su ervising the Pilgrim at an intellectual level and, as such, her significance should not be reduced to that of sim le handmaiden to .eatrice+ /4$0 ,hile the four maidens from the allegorical rocession are defined as ancelle to .eatrice, Matelda is erceived as a guardian in the Terrestrial Paradise and is a character in her o!n right !ho e)hibits ersonality traits that are not im overished in the !a-e of .eatrice's solemn arrival and the evident seniority of her role+ .eatrice is on friendly terms !ith Matelda but does not treat her as inferior or subservient+ 5imilarly, the te)tual lin- !ith @eah*?achel (and by analogy Martha*Mary) adds a further dimension only to Matelda's characteriIation, but does not rovide a definitive gloss on the significance of this animated oetic creation !hose sublime inner radiance reflects her love of Elo sommo .enE (GG>;;;, 6#)+ ,hile her hysical beauty suggests traditional oetic models that Dante transcends in his quest for l alta matera and she ins ires com arisons !ith classical figures, Matelda retains a distinct ersonality and demeanour, combining natural virtue and beauty !ith the dignity of her station as a guardian a ointed by =od, but !ho is not, ho!ever, a member of the angelic caste+ ;f, as .osco and ?eggio assert, Matelda is Eun'idea figurataE, /4#0 she is so !ithin the conte)t of a redem tive "hristian oetics, since her characteriIation e) lores the range from the idyllic and astoral !ith stilnovistic overtones, to biblical and mythological references, to the revelatory and dee ly ersonal+ Matelda's soothing resence has a restorative, strengthening effect on the Pilgrim !ho has been cleansed in the searing !all of fire and !hose gro!ing desire to ascend to =od gathers momentum !ith every assing hour (Purg+ GG>;;, #4#'#4<)+ Much of Dante's release from the !ea-nesses of the !ill has been su ervised by >irgil, but no! his o!n natural intelligence is once more otent and ready to face ne! challenges+ E>oi siete nuoviE, states Matelda (GG>;;;, 8&), as she rovides the ministering influence to oversee the restoration of Dante's intellect !ithin the confines of her other!orldly recinct+ Thus Matelda's genesis as a oetic image is lin-ed to the unique moment of the oet' rotagonist's develo ment in via, and to his final goal of being united !ith .eatrice+ 1er multi'form image is te)tual evidence of

Dante's oetic self'mastery on the eve of >irgil's de arture and .eatrice's arrival, !hen he has left behind the com any of agan oets and see-s confirmation of his autonomy as a "hristian oet+ The image of Matelda ertains to Dante's o!n re resentation of the course of eternal historyB a movement from agan symbols to "hristian symbols+ /440 Thus the im ortant enitential cleansing rites erformed on Dante in the flo!ing !aters of 9den and overseen by Matelda ta-e lace in order that he be freed from the memory of sin (@ethe) and restored to !holeness of being by the memory of virtue (9uno) in antici ation of the aradisiacal Eetterna fontanaE in 1eaven (Par+ GGG;, 6<)+ .y means of the figure of Matelda, Dante resents a oetic image !hose te)tual significance rovides a vital lin- in Dante's oetic ma ing out of redem tive history and his lace in the oetic triumvirate com rising >irgil (!hose oetry e) lores the re'"hristian value of pietas), 5tatius (re resenting the early "hristian era of conversion to the faith and the im act of this on individual lives) and himself as rotagonist (re resenting the medieval "hristian era in urgent need of a recovery of values and a return to the true mission of the early "hurch)+ ;n the role and image of Matelda Dante sur asses both the oetic re resentations of classical goddesses, heroines and nym hs desired by deities or heroes, and the idealised donna angelicata lauded by the vernacular oets+ Hust as .eatrice's role is central to Dante's articulation of a vernacular salvific oetics, Matelda's su ervision of Dante's final rite of urification, before his ascent to the heavenly order, attests to her im ortance in a crucial hase of his s iritual develo ment and reforming mission+

NOTES /#0 The inter retation of Matelda as ,isdom !as first ro osed by @uigi Pietrobono, Il poema sacro! "aggio d una interpreta#ione generale della Divina $ommedia, 4 vols, .ologna, Kanichelli, #6#(, vol+ 4, + 6$'6&+ 5ee also his essay, EMateldaE in %uovi saggi danteschi, Turin, 5+9+;+, #6(%, + #&6'#68+ Ulisse Fresco argues for Matelda as a symbol of Ela nuova sa ienIa cristiana ubbidiente di nuovo a DioE, E2more di 5a ienIa nella Divina $ommediaE, Il giornale dantesco, >ol+ GG>;; (#64%), + 4$6+ More recently, Peter 2rmour has convincingly argued that Matelda re resents rimeval ,isdom+ 5ee EPurgatorio GG>;;;E in Dante $ommentaries! Eight "tudies of the Divine $omed&, ed+ David 3olan, Dublin, ;rish 2cademic Press, #688, + ##('#%# and EMatelda in 9denD The Teacher and the 2 leE, Italian "tudies, <% (#686), 4'48+ /40 For e)am le, the name Matelda s elled bac-!ards results in ad laetam meaning Eto!ard AoyE+ 5ee ?obert 1ollander, EThe ,omen of PurgatorioE in 'llegor& in Dante s $ommedia , Princeton, 3+H+, Princeton UP, #6&6, + #(4, n+#7 and =ioacchino Maruffi, Matelda svelata, ?ome, 5tabilimento 2+ 5taderini, #6<&, + <+ 5ee also Peter 2rmour's good'humoured summary of etymological and cry togra hical theories ertinent to the to ic in EMatelda in 9denD The Teacher and the 2 leE, + 4%'4&B "oncetto 5+ Del Po olo, EMatelda (44 a rile #687)E, (etture $lassensi, >ol+ 7, ?avenna, @ongo, #686, + #4#'#<%B Herome MaIIaro, EThe >ernal Parado)D Dante's MateldaE, Dante "tudies, ##$ (#664), #$8'#4$+ 5ee "aron "ioffi's entry EMateldaE in )he Dante Enc&clopedia, ed+ ?ichard @ansing, 3e! Lor- and @ondon, =arland, 4$$$, + (66'&$4+ /<0 5ee for e)am le, M+F+M+ Mei-leAohn, EThe ;dentity of Dante's MateldaE in $ollected Essa&s on Italian (anguage and (iterature presented to *athleen "peight, eds =iovanni

2quilecchia, 5te hen 3+ "ristea and 5heila ?al hs, Manchester University Press, #68#, 4%'48+

/%0 5ee FiorenIo Forti's entry EMateldaE in Enciclopedia dantesca+ ;;;, ?ome, ;stituto della 9nciclo edia ;taliana, #68$'8#, + 7(%'&$ and 2rmour, EMatelda in 9denE, + %+ 5ee .enedetto "roce, (a poesia di Dante, .ari, @aterIa, #6&#, + &<, EMatelda, da fata della rimavera, diventa ancella ed esecutrice di riti es iatorE, and + #4&'#48+ 9ttore "accia, E;l mito di MateldaE, (etture $lassensi, >ol+ 4, ?avenna, @ongo, #6&6, + #8<'#68, resents a number of hy otheses on the identity of Matelda and finally settles on the vie! that Matelda is based on Dante's memories of his youth in Florence ( + #6<)+ =iovanni FederIoni believes that Matelda !as a young friend of .eatrice's+ 5ee "tudi e diporti danteschi, .ologna, Kanichelli, #6<(, + 4%'48+ 5ee also 9+ =+ Parodi, E;ntorno alle fonti dantesche e a MateldaE, Poesia e storia nella Divina $ommedia. "tudi critici, 3a les, Francesco Perrella, #64#, + <#('<&<B @orenIo Mascetta'"aracci's ro osal that Matelda is =iovanna (Primavera), the !oman loved by =uido "avalcantiD EMateldaE, Il giornale dantesco, >ol+ GG>;;; (#64(), 4<8'4(8B =iulio 3atali, E;l Paradiso terrestre e la sua custodeE, "iculorum ,&mnasium (?assegna della facolt di lettere e filosofia dell'universit di "atania) 3+5+, anno >;;;, n+ # (gennaio'giugno #6((), + #68'4#$B Tilde 3ardi, EMateldaE, ( 'lighieri, 2nno ;;;, 3+ 4 (luglio'dicembre #6&4), 46'<%B Francesco .iondolillo, -re dantesche, ?avenna, @ongo, #6&6, + #<<'#(<B Franco Masciandaro, Dante as DramatistD )he M&th of the Earthl& Paradise and )ragic Vision in the Divine $omed&, Philadel hia, University of Pennsylvania Press, #66#, + #78'4<$+ /(0 2ll quotations from the $ommedia are ta-en from (a $ommedia secondo l antica vulgata, ed+ =+ Petrocchi, 5ociet Dantesca ;taliana, 9diIione 3aIionale, % vols, Milan, Mondadori, #6&&'#6&7+ /&0 )he Political Vision of the Divine $omed&, Princeton, 3+H+, Princeton UP, #67%, + 4$&+ 9m eror "onstantine is in the 1eaven of Hu iter (Par+ GG, (('&$) and Dante notes that although "onstantine's actions !ere to good ur ose, they bore evil fruits+ /80 2lfonso .ertoldi ado ts a t!o' ronged vie! that Matelda also re resents allegorically the active life, (a bella donna del Paradiso )errestre, Florence, Ufficio della E?assegna 3aIionaleE, #6$#, + (+ 5ee also Michele .arbi, E3uovi roblemi della critica dantescaD >;;; ' ;m ero e "hiesaE, "tudi Danteschi, 4& (#6%4), + <6, EMatelda ' senIa dubbio ' la contessa di ToscanaB ed ben naturale che Dante l'abbia voluta far resente in quella arte del oema dove i di ro osito intese es rimere, attraverso una vasta figuraIione simbolica, i rinci ii fondamentali della sua dottrina intorno alla "hiesa e all';m ero e intorno ai loro vicendevoli ra ortiE+ 5ee also the rsum by 9d!ard Moore as to the identity of Matelda, in his "tudies in Dante. )hird "eries. Miscellaneous Essa&s, 3e! Lor-, =reen!ood Press, #6&7'&6 (re rint of #766, :)ford, "larendon Press edition), + 4#$'4#&+ :ther critical material related to Matelda includesD Francis Fergusson, EMateldaD The @etter for the 5 iritE in his Dante s Drama of the MindD ' Modern .eading of the Purgatorio, Princeton, 3+H+, Princeton UP, #6(< , + 4$%'4#(B 2lberto "hiari, EPreludio al Paradiso dantescoE, (etture del /Purgatorio/, a cura di >ittorio >ettori, Milan, MarIorati, #6&(, + <$%'<4$B Umberto .osco, Dante vicinoD $ontributi e letture, "altanissetta'?ome, 5alvatore 5ciascia, #6&&, + 48%'46&B 2ntonio 9nIo Juaglio, Il canto 00VIII del Purgatorio, Florence, @e Monnier, #6&& and E"anto GG>;;;E, (ectura Dantis "caligera+ Purgatorio, Florence, @e Monnier, #6&8, + #$<6'#$&&B =aetano Marcovaldi, "tudi sul pensiero di Dante, ?ome, ;stituto =rafico Tiberino di 5tefano De @uca, #6&6, + %<'%&B Hohn "+ .arnes, EDante's MateldaD Fact or FictionCE,

Italian "tudies, 47 (#68<), #'6B Peter 5+ 1a!-ins, E,atching MateldaE in )he Poetr& of 'llusion! Virgil and -vid in Dante s $ommedia, eds ?achel Hacoff and Heffrey T+ 5chna , 5tanford, "alifornia, 5tanford UP, #66#, + #7#'4$#B Flavia "oassin, EMateldaD Poetic ;mage or 2rchety eCE in Visions and .evisions! 1omen in Italian $ulture, eds Mirna "icioni and 3+ Prunster, Providence*:)ford, .erg, #66<, + <'#4+ /70 .runo 3ardi, %el mondo di Dante, ?ome, 9diIioni di storia e letteratura, #6%%, 487+ + 48&'

/60 Dante s Political Purgator&, Philadel hia, University of Pennsylvania Press, #66&, + #7%+ Peter 2rmour !rites of "ountess .eatrice of Tuscany and "ountess Matilda, mother and daughter !ho ruled Aointly for a short time and are buried together in Pisa, thus suggesting an historical lin- !ith the duty of care to!ards the Pilgrim Aointly carried out by .eatrice and Matelda in the $ommedia, EMatelda in 9denD The Teacher and the 2 leE, art. cit+, + 4&+ Hoan Ferrante also su orts the vie! that Matelda re resents the countess of Tuscany, )he Political Vision of the Divine $omed&, op. cit+, + 4%&'4%7+ /#$0 >ictoria Mir-ham argues in su ort of a bi artite division, reflected in the landsca e and imagery of the Terrestrial Paradise, !hereby the material and the eternal are in combination and Matelda is Ead litteram the "ountess of Tuscany and spiritualiter ,isdomE and Ea miraculous arado) /++0 both >enerean and virginalE, EPurgatorio GG>;;;E, (ectura Dantis, #4D 5u lement, Dante s Divine $omed&+ Introductor& .eadings II! Purgatorio, ed+ Tibor ,lassics, (ectura Dantis Virginiana, vol+ ;; (#66<), + %4<, %4(+ 2nna M+ "hiavacci @eonardi, (a guerra de la pietateD "aggio per una interpreta#ione dell Inferno di Dante, 3a les, @iguori, #686, + <4 highlights the dualistic tension evident throughout the $ommediaD Ela sua qualit distintiva e s ecifica /+++0 che sta nel do io registro, o do ia tensione es ressiva, tra il terreno e l'eterno, tra lo storico e il metastorico, di cui il cammino del rimo verso la figura, e l'amore dell'ultimo il termineE+ /##0 :ne recalls the e)as erated tone of 2rturo =raf !ho declaresD E5e Dante, er rima cosa, avesse chiesto a MateldaD "hi seiC e che fai costC avrebbe ris armiata molta fatica ai commentatori e fatto a noi un grande serviIioE, E;l canto GG>;;; del PurgatorioE, (etture scelte sulla Divina $ommedia, a cura di =iovanni =etto, Florence, 5ansoni, #68$, + 7($' 7(#+ /#40 9vasio "omello, Matelda, 5arno, Ti + Fischetti, #6#8, + 47 identifies a series of transformations that have at their core a tribute on the art of Dante to his !ife =emma Donati+ Thus the donna gentile of Vita nuova becomes @ady Philoso hy in the $onvivio until finally, in the figure of Matelda, the Poet fuses the notion of the contem lative, hiloso hical life !ith that of the active life+ ;n #64( 1o)ie 3eale Fairchild ublished a study of Matelda !ithin the conte)t of multi le allegory+ Fairchild asserted that Matelda fulfilled the function of precursor on a number of levels+ 2lthough the rimary hy othesis !as that of =iovanna' Primavera, that is, Matelda as the forerunner of .eatrice, from this basic remiss Fairchild then offered the reader a choice of recursorial ossibilities !hich may be summariIed as follo!sD Matelda may be lin-ed to the 2ctive @ife that heralds the "ontem lative life (@eah to ?achel) and to =rancontessa Matilda's Florence in a =olden 2ge (!ith Hohn the .a tist as atron saint) loo-ing for!ard to an age of revival+ Moreover, Fairchild also sa! connections !ith @ucia, and in the realm of Ehistorical recursors and servants of =od in the 2ctive @ifeE, !ith Martha and Mary, Monna >anna and Monna .ice and lastly Hohn the .a tist and "hrist, EMateldaD 2 5tudy in Multi le 2llegoryE, )he .omanic .evie2, >ol+ G>;, 3o+ 4 (#64(), #<&'

#&%+ >ariations on the theme of the 2ctive'"ontem lative @ife include Maria Francesca ?ossetti, ' "hado2 of Dante Being an Essa& to2ards "tud&ing 3imself+ his 1orld and his Pilgrimage, Port ,ashington, 3e! Lor-*@ondon, Menni-at Press, #6$# (reissue #6&6), + #7(D Ethe Flo!er'culler of 9den, the only ermanent inhabitant a earing there, !ould seem to be the realiIation and develo ment of the dream'@eah, and so the "hristian ty e of the 2ctive @ife in the Paradise of 9arthD .eatrice standing in the same relation to the dream' ?achel, and to the "ontem lative @ife in the Paradise of 1eavenEB Marcello "am odonico, for !hom Matelda is Ela PerfeIione raggiungibile nella >ita attiva, che il Paradiso terrestreE, EMatelda la 'Philoso hia DoctrinalisC' la 'sorella' di .eatriceCE, Il giornale dantesco, GG>; (#64<), + ##8 and Manfredi Porena !ho maintains that Matelda symboliIes both the active and the contem lative life Ee che er quest'unione di simboli ella viene oi insomma a ra resentare la erfetta felicit terrenaE, Delle manifesta#ioni plastiche del sentimento nei personaggi della Divina $ommedia, Milan, Ulrico 1oe li, #6$4, + #($+ /#<0 ?achel .lanche 1arro!er attests to Matelda as a symbol of Ethe human Understanding as it !as first created, at its highest oint of o!er and activity, erfected through -no!ledge and fully re ared for the bliss of intellectual satisfactionE, ' %e2 )heor& of Dante s Matelda, "ambridge University Press, #64&, + 6+ /#%0 "+5+ 5ingleton, EMateldaE, Dante "tudies 4! 5ourne& to Beatrice, "ambridge, 1arvard University Press, #6&8, + 4#7+ 5ee also the cha ters entitled E3atural HusticeE and E@ament for 9denE+ 5ingleton's vie! has recently received su ort from ?+ 2+ 5hoaf !ho maintains that Matelda Enot only figures, she also enacts AusticeE, E(o gel che m era intorno al cor (Purg+ <$+68) and 6rigidus circum praecordia sanguis (,eo+ 4+ %7%)D Dante's Transcendence of >irgilE, (ectura Dantis, ( (#676), + <&+ /#(0 )he Metamorphoses of -vid, trans+ Mary M+ ;nnes, U+M, Penguin, #68( (#6((), <4+ + <#'

/#&0 5ee Umberto .osco's discussion of the "avalcantian themes in the e isode, E;l canto GG>;;; del PurgatorioE, %uove letture dantesche, >, Florence, @e Monnier, #684, + #%<'#%%+ ;n a later study, for the most art a re rint of the last'mentioned essay but slightly augmented, .osco statesD Ela belleIIa di Matelda stilnovisticamente concreta e religiosamente celesteE, E@'idillio sacroD Matelda (c+ GG>;;; del Purgatorio)E, 'ltre pagine dantesche, "altanissetta'?ome, 5alvatore 5ciascia, #678, + 4<(+ /#80 "+ 1+ =randgent regards @ethe and 9uno as symbolic of the rite of absolutionD EThis rite is administered by Matilda, ty e of ;nnocence, !ho first lunges the s!ooning oet into @ethe, then leads him forth to Aoin the dance of the four "ardinal >irtuesE, Dante, @ondon, =eorge =+ 1arra , #64$, + 4$<+ /#70 9merson .ro!n, Hr+ asserts that Dante recogniIes in Matelda Ea brief glim se at his o!n rela sarian state+ /+++0 the lovely and innocent Matelda brings the lovely and innocent but also threatened and doomed Proser ina to his mindE, EProser ina, Matelda, and the PilgrimE, Dante "tudies, 76 (#68#), + %#+ =iuse e Trccoli deifies MateldaD EDea dell'eterna rimavera sbocciante rigogliosa all'intornoE, Il Purgatorio dantescoD "tudio critico, Florence, @a =iuntina, #6(#, + #&<+ This may be com ared to =iorgio .rberi 5quarotti, !ho asserts that Matelda re resents El'allegoria della natura nella condiIione di su rema erfeIione e innocenIaE, ( -mbra di 'rgoD "tudi sulla $ommedia, Turin, =enesi, #664, + <<<+

/#60 2n e)am le of this vie! is advanced by 2+ .artlett =iamatti, EMatelda is to .eatrice as @eah is to ?achel, or Martha !as said to be to Mary, or the terrestrial aradise !here man !orshi s through the urity of his deeds is to the celestial aradise !here the soul adores by reflecting the Divine @ight+ Matelda is the guide to that ne! life of Aoy and innocence !herein Dante !ill rediscover the Eold flameE and find .eatrice and, through her, =odE, )he Earthl& Paradise and the .enaissance Epic+ Princeton, 3+H+, Princeton UP, #6&&, + #$8+ 5ee Mario PaIIaglia's discussion of @eah and ?achel in E;l canto GG>;; del PurgatorioE, %uove letture dantesche, >ol+ (, Florence, @e Monnier, #684, + #$<'#<$+ /4$0 T+ M+ 5!ing's observation that EDante's ultimate end is not to meet Matelda but .eatrice+ Matelda turns out to be only a handmaid to .eatriceE demotes Matelda's obviously inde endent and im ortant function, )he 6ragile (eaves of the "ib&l, ,estminster, Maryland, The 3e!man Press, #6&4, + 6(+ 1+ ,ayne 5torey's observation gives a ro riate recognition to MateldaD E@i-e @eah's relationshi to ?achel, Matelda's -no!ledge and actions form the foundation, the sisterly com lement, u on !hich .eatrice's e)traordinary teachings in the contem lative and visionary arts are builtE, E?evision and >ision in Purgatorio GGG;E, (ectura Dantis+ #%'#( (#66%), + <4+ /4#0 Dante 2lighieri, (a Divina $ommedia, Purgatorio, con agine critiche a cura di Umberto .osco e =iovanni ?eggio, Florence, @e Monnier, #677, + %8$+ /440 2s ?osetta Migliorini Fissi suggests, Matelda teaches Dante to recogniIe =od's rovidential im rintD EMatelda insegna dunque a Dante /+++0 ad oltre assare le arvenIe sensibili /+++0 a cogliere nel mirabile ordine della creaIione ' contem lato nella erfetta e incontaminata natura edenica ' il disegno rovvidenIiale tracciato dall'artefice divinoE, E@'ingresso di Dante nell'9denE, "tudi Danteschi, (7 (#67&), + <<+ The essay rea ears !ith some modifications as E;l canto GG>;;; del PurgatorioE, ( 'lighieri, 2nno GGG;, n+ 4 (#66$), <'($+ 3icol Mineo says of the Terrestrial ParadiseD E;n esso Dante ha ensato e ra resentato come realt i com ortamenti ideali sognati dallo stilnovismo e l'essenIa dell'ideale mondo cristiano im erial'comunaleE, Dante, .ari, @aterIa, #67&, + 4%&+