Special committee to celebrate the 7^th centenary of the death of Poet Dante

March 6, 2012: The Pontifical Council for Culture has announced the establishment of a Committee to support the events and initiatives as part of the 7^th centenary celebrations of the death of great Italina poet, Dante Alighieri, which will be in 2021. The Committee, as desired by the Holy See is made up of academics involved with cultural studies on the figure and work of Dante Alighieri.

The Committee is chaired by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture and also the new President of the House of Dante in Rome. The committee is particularly interested in the enhancement of the figure of Dante and his works especially among the younger generations and their teachers.

The commitment of the Committee, aimed primarily at the celebrations of 2021, will consist in the realization of one or more annual events as stages of approach and preparation for the Centenary. The rationale for the establishment of the Committee is the deep interest of the Church for Dante. The Holy See proposes Dante as an emblem of the cultural heritage and artistic valuable and necessary not only for the Church but for all humanity.