Toronto Salutes Dante is now live, with more than 500 views in four days for its first video!
The Toronto Salutes Dante project is an audiovisual celebration of the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death. Spearheaded by CMS professors Elisa Brilli and Nicholas Terpstra, with Italian Studies visiting lecturer George Ferzoco, the project involves Dante scholars, students, and enthusiasts across Canada as they read parts of the Divine Comedy in over thirty languages and dialects. Videos of the readings are being released from March through June.
The first video includes an introduction to the project and a reading of Dante's Inferno, canto 1. The reading opens with 30 lines from the Inferno newly translated into Anishinaabemowin, followed by an English-language reading by Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada .
Toronto Salutes Dante has already attracted attention for two “firsts”: the translations of parts of the Divine Comedy into Canadian indigenous languages Anishinaabemowin and Stoney Nakoda. Additionally, the videos incorporate theme music from Canadian musician Loreena McKennitt, who has authorized the use of “Dante’s Prayer” from her 1997 album Book of Secrets.
Keep an eye out over the following weeks as numerous CMS faculty and students take part in the readings! Videos will be posted regularly on the University of Toronto’s Department of Italian Studies YouTube Channel and will be featured in our news section.