This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/11/dan-brown-inferno-florence-tourism

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Dan Brown's Inferno: Florence hopes for a tourism miracle Dan Brown's Inferno: Florence hopes for a tourism miracle
(about 17 hours later)
As he expertly navigated the labyrinthine corridors of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Eugenio Giani claimed he had no doubts about Dan Brown. "Tourism is down in Florence by 10%, and if this new book does well, we will get that 10% back," he said,As he expertly navigated the labyrinthine corridors of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Eugenio Giani claimed he had no doubts about Dan Brown. "Tourism is down in Florence by 10%, and if this new book does well, we will get that 10% back," he said,
Giani, a quintessentially elegant Florentine and the head of the city council, is eagerly awaiting this week's release of Inferno, Dan Brown's take on Florence and Dante Alighieri – the 13th-century local poet whose Divine Comedy helped define the Italian language as Chaucer did English.Giani, a quintessentially elegant Florentine and the head of the city council, is eagerly awaiting this week's release of Inferno, Dan Brown's take on Florence and Dante Alighieri – the 13th-century local poet whose Divine Comedy helped define the Italian language as Chaucer did English.
Now Brown is set to do for Dante what he did for Leonardo da Vinci, when he turned the Italian polymath into a magnet for conspiracy theorists in 2003, selling more than 80 million copies of The Da Vinci Code.Now Brown is set to do for Dante what he did for Leonardo da Vinci, when he turned the Italian polymath into a magnet for conspiracy theorists in 2003, selling more than 80 million copies of The Da Vinci Code.
Fans can expect Brown's protagonist, academic Robert Langdon, to find hidden, deadly meanings in Dante's description of his descent into hell in the Divine Comedy, while a preview chapter released before publication wastes no time sending a female assassin to try to kill Langdon in the shadow of Palazzo Vecchio, the crenellated centrepiece to the city which was once used by the Medicis and is now home to Florence's city council. "Dante experts have warned me to beware of Brown, but I am not afraid – it is important that people get interested in Dante, then they can figure out what is true or false," said Giani, who is head of Italy's Dante Society.Fans can expect Brown's protagonist, academic Robert Langdon, to find hidden, deadly meanings in Dante's description of his descent into hell in the Divine Comedy, while a preview chapter released before publication wastes no time sending a female assassin to try to kill Langdon in the shadow of Palazzo Vecchio, the crenellated centrepiece to the city which was once used by the Medicis and is now home to Florence's city council. "Dante experts have warned me to beware of Brown, but I am not afraid – it is important that people get interested in Dante, then they can figure out what is true or false," said Giani, who is head of Italy's Dante Society.
That optimism was echoed by Silvano Fei, who runs the city's Dante museum, which draws 60,000 visitors a year. "The important thing about this book is that people talk about Dante," he said.That optimism was echoed by Silvano Fei, who runs the city's Dante museum, which draws 60,000 visitors a year. "The important thing about this book is that people talk about Dante," he said.
Dante wrote his three-part masterpiece, in which he visits hell, purgatory and paradise, when he was exiled from Florence after finding himself on the wrong side in one of the city's complex factional fall-outs.Dante wrote his three-part masterpiece, in which he visits hell, purgatory and paradise, when he was exiled from Florence after finding himself on the wrong side in one of the city's complex factional fall-outs.
He took with him the memory of mosaics located in the baptistry of the city's cathedral – still visible today — which depict a scary, horned Satan munching on souls in the underworld.He took with him the memory of mosaics located in the baptistry of the city's cathedral – still visible today — which depict a scary, horned Satan munching on souls in the underworld.
It is visions such as these that show how Florence was made for Brown, said Giani, taking me on a tour around Palazzo Vecchio's complex network of passageways to prove his point. "Labyrinthine corridors were part of Florence's culture of secrets," he said as we passed the office that Machiavelli once worked in, before we ducked into a room lined with 16th-century maps. Pressing on the map of Armenia, a secret door swings open, revealing a passageway leading to a grille through which the enormous Room of the 500 can be glimpsed. "Cosimo I, the Medici grand duke, used this to spy on people meeting in the hall," said Giani.It is visions such as these that show how Florence was made for Brown, said Giani, taking me on a tour around Palazzo Vecchio's complex network of passageways to prove his point. "Labyrinthine corridors were part of Florence's culture of secrets," he said as we passed the office that Machiavelli once worked in, before we ducked into a room lined with 16th-century maps. Pressing on the map of Armenia, a secret door swings open, revealing a passageway leading to a grille through which the enormous Room of the 500 can be glimpsed. "Cosimo I, the Medici grand duke, used this to spy on people meeting in the hall," said Giani.
In the hall, a huge 16th-century fresco by Giorgio Vasari is believed by researchers to conceal The Battle of Anghiari, a lost masterpiece by da Vinci. But efforts last year to drill through to find it were halted after protests from academics. "Jealousies between experts," muttered Giani. Beyond such mysteries, fans of Brown's Inferno heading for Florence to discover traces of Dante will be well catered for, since quotes from the Divine Comedy referring to streets that have not changed for 600 years are placed on plaques around the city. In the hall, a huge 16th-century fresco by Giorgio Vasari is believed by researchers to conceal The Battle of Anghiari, a lost masterpiece by Da Vinci. But efforts last year to drill through to find it were halted after protests from academics. "Jealousies between experts," muttered Giani. Beyond such mysteries, fans of Brown's Inferno heading for Florence to discover traces of Dante will be well catered for, since quotes from the Divine Comedy referring to streets that have not changed for 600 years are placed on plaques around the city.
"You must live the city to find Dante, the Divine Comedy is literally written across the town," said Giani."You must live the city to find Dante, the Divine Comedy is literally written across the town," said Giani.
Yards from Palazzo Vecchio, in the stump of a 14th-century tower, sits the Dante Society, which produced the definitive modern edition of the Divine Comedy in the 19th century as Italy united. Paola Allegretti, one of the society's experts, said Dante and Hollywood had crossed paths before. "Anthony Hopkins visits the society in the film Hannibal to study a Dante sonnet in which the woman he loves eats his heart in a dream," she said. Entering the society's hushed library, Allegretti reached for a copy of the Divine Comedy and read out a passage from Inferno: "Oh you, who have clear minds, take note of the meaning that conceals itself under the veil of clouded verse!" Yards from Palazzo Vecchio, in the stump of a 14th-century tower, sits the Dante Society, which published the definitive modern edition of the Divine Comedy in 1921. Paola Allegretti, one of the society's experts, said Dante and Hollywood had crossed paths before. "Anthony Hopkins visits the society in the film Hannibal to study a Dante sonnet in which the woman he loves eats his heart in a dream," she said. Entering the society's hushed library, Allegretti reached for a copy of the Divine Comedy and read out a passage from Inferno: "Oh you, who have clear minds, take note of the meaning that conceals itself under the veil of clouded verse!"
"Dante really wants us to find hidden meanings in his work," she said. "He had a great sense of humour and was deliberately vague to encourage mysteries. He would have loved Dan Brown.""Dante really wants us to find hidden meanings in his work," she said. "He had a great sense of humour and was deliberately vague to encourage mysteries. He would have loved Dan Brown."
A renowned da Vinci expert, who has spent years tackling some of the more far-fetched theories about the man and his most famous work, The Mona Lisa, which were spawned by the Da Vinci Code, advised Dante scholars to be cautious: "To have a historical figure like da Vinci living in contemporary minds is a great privilege and Brown has played a role in that," said Martin Kemp. "However, he set lots of hares racing and I have had to deal with the 'Leonardo loonies' who see alligators in the background of The Mona Lisa and hidden codes everywhere." A renowned Da Vinci expert, who has spent years tackling some of the more far-fetched theories about the man and his most famous work, the Mona Lisa, which were spawned by The Da Vinci Code, advised Dante scholars to be cautious: "To have a historical figure like Da Vinci living in contemporary minds is a great privilege and Brown has played a role in that," said Martin Kemp. "However, he set lots of hares racing and I have had to deal with the 'Leonardo loonies' who see alligators in the background of the Mona Lisa and hidden codes everywhere."
Outside the baptistery, souvenir seller Stefano Obe said that he had no problem with a few inaccuracies. "What with the crisis, the tourists keep coming but are spending less and less," he said. "This book sounds like welcome news." Outside the baptistry, souvenir seller Stefano Obe said that he had no problem with a few inaccuracies. "What with the crisis, the tourists keep coming but are spending less and less," he said. "This book sounds like welcome news."
FLORENCE ON FILMFLORENCE ON FILM
Room with a viewRoom with a view
Florence is the unbilled star of the 1985 Merchant Ivory film of EM Forster's 1908 novel about an Englishwoman's first kiss. Helena Bonham Carter's character takes in Dante's tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce and faints in Piazza della Signoria, just outside Palazzo Vecchio.Florence is the unbilled star of the 1985 Merchant Ivory film of EM Forster's 1908 novel about an Englishwoman's first kiss. Helena Bonham Carter's character takes in Dante's tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce and faints in Piazza della Signoria, just outside Palazzo Vecchio.
Tea with MussoliniTea with Mussolini
Franco Zeffirelli's 1999 depiction of a circle of British and American women is set in Florence during the second world war. It features the haven of the English Cemetery, in Piazzale Donatello.Franco Zeffirelli's 1999 depiction of a circle of British and American women is set in Florence during the second world war. It features the haven of the English Cemetery, in Piazzale Donatello.
HannibalHannibal
Apart from visiting the headquarters of the Dante Society in this follow up to Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins's serial cannibal presents a paper on Dante to scholars at Palazzo Vecchio before hanging an Italian policeman from the balcony.Apart from visiting the headquarters of the Dante Society in this follow up to Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins's serial cannibal presents a paper on Dante to scholars at Palazzo Vecchio before hanging an Italian policeman from the balcony.
Portrait of a LadyPortrait of a Lady
In this 1996 film adaptation of the Henry James novel, directed by Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman plays an American free thinker who travels to Florence, where she is seduced by John Malkovich in the church of Santa Maria del Fiore.In this 1996 film adaptation of the Henry James novel, directed by Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman plays an American free thinker who travels to Florence, where she is seduced by John Malkovich in the church of Santa Maria del Fiore.
• This article was amended on 12 May 2013. An error during the editing process led to the original version saying the Dante Society published the definitive modern edition of the Divine Comedy in the 19th century. It was published in 1921. This has been corrected.