l male come sconfitta dell'uomo e dei desideri (Evil as the defeat of man and of human desires)

Abstract: The article interprets the figure of Piccarda Donati in the Paradiso as a symbol of the defeat of evil and human desire through divine love and grace. In her, Dante embodies purity that resists earthly violence, transforming suffering into beatitude and light. The author connects Dante’s poetics of light and love to the Platonic-Augustinian tradition and to stilnovismo, reading Piccarda’s canto as a meditation on the soul’s ascent, on mercy, and on the triumph of good. The woman’s story ultimately becomes a reflection of Florentine corruption and of humanity’s capacity to rediscover God through beauty and faith.