Dante's Letter to Emperor Henry VII, his "Shining Hope" for Florence.

In this episode we'll look at Epistle VII that Dante wrote to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII of Luxembourg, after Henry's descent into Italy in 1310. 

We'll go through the historical context of the letter, as well as Dante's life in exile after 1304, and the immediate aftermath of Henry's conquest. We'll also look at some passages in "The Paradiso" with Dante's description of becoming a "Party of One" after breaking with the White Guelphs, and how Beatrice presents Henry VII's place in the Heavens.

A great map of Europe in the time of Emperor Henry VII is here! https://ibb.co/PNHnJnb

Thanks for listening!