Title page from The Divine Comedy, in 3 vols. (Langdon trans.)

The Divine Comedy, in 3 vols. (Langdon trans.)

Dante’s masterwork is a 3 volume work written in Italian rather than Latin. Vol. 1 (Inferno (Hell) describes what happens to the souls of the wicked who are condemned to suffer the torments of Hell. Vol. 2 Purgatorio (Purgatory) shows how souls might be perfected in a painful process which leads ultimately to one’s moral development and improvement. Vol. 3 Paradiso (Heaven) shows the beauty and the rewards awaiting those who have been blessed by God.