In a hidden invocation found in an ancient and little known early medieval commentary on the first books of the Bible, written by the Italian monk Bruno di Segni toward the end of the eleventh century, one unexpectedly finds the source that gave Dante the original idea of the «dark wood» — a wood that was «bitter», «rough», «stern» and deviated from «the straight path» — on which the Commedia based its dramatic opening scene. In the hands of Giulio d’Onofrio, such a discovery becomes the occasion for offering a new perspective on the approach to the philosophical and theological thought of Dante Alighieri. Thus, the reader discovers that Dante’s direct sources of knowledge were not only the ancient classics and the contemporary poets, scholars, philosophers and university magistri, but his sources also included some of the chief representatives of patristic literature (from Ambrose and Augustine, to Jerome) and the monastic wisdom of the early Middle Ages (from such «founders» as Boethius, Cassiodorus, and Gregory the Great, to such more recent, celebrated models of theological thought as John Scotus, Anselm of Aosta, and Bernard of Clairvaux; from the erudite Isidore of Seville and Rabanus Maurus, to the contemplative Richard of Saint Victor). The new light stemming from both the dense theories and the meditative, mystical spirituality of this tradition of thought, which was dominated by the unifying, theoretical and practical principle of universal caritas, reveals within the entirety of Dante’s work the specific character of his vocation as a poet-theologian: the awareness of being called in the «middle» of his earthly existence to the fulfilment of a higher mission to reeducate humanity. For him, to rediscover and follow his «straight path» meant making use of the expressive medium of theological poetry in order to carve the deepest truths of the Christian doctrinal system into impassioned lessons and refined allegories that would be efficacious and unforgettable for those who read them. To show human beings in this way the correct orientation toward «perfection» means to make them understand that true happiness will be viewing all reality with the eye of the God who created it; desiring reality as God desires it; and loving reality as God loves it.
Da una invocazione nascosta in un poco conosciuto commento alto-medievale ai primi libri della Bibbia, composto dal monaco italiano Bruno di Segni verso la metà del secolo XI, emerge inattesa la fonte che suggerisce a Dante la prima idea della «selva oscura», «amara», «aspra», «forte» e deviante dalla «diritta via», con la cui drammatica pittura si apre la Commedia. Tale scoperta si traduce nelle mani di Giulio d’Onofrio nell’occasione per aprire una nuova prospettiva di approccio al pensiero filosofico e teologico dell’Aligheri. Il lettore scopre così che fonti dirette del sapere di Dante non sono solo i classici antichi, poeti, scienziati o filosofi, o i magistri universitari suoi contemporanei, ma anche alcuni tra i tipici rappresentanti della letteratura patristica (da Ambrogio e Agostino a Girolamo) e della sapienza monastica dell’alto Medioevo (dai ‘fondatori’ come Boezio, Cassiodoro e Gregorio Magno ai più recenti e luminosi modelli di pensiero teologico come Giovanni Scoto, Anselmo d’Aosta e Bernardo di Chiaravalle, dagli eruditi Isidoro di Siviglia e Rabano Mauro al contemplativo Riccardo di San Vittore). La nuova luce proveniente dall’intima spiritualità meditativa di questa tradizione di pensiero, dominata dal principio unificante della caritas universale, evidenzia nell’intera opera di Dante i tratti precisi della sua vocazione di poeta-teologo: la coscienza, cioè, di essere chiamato, nel «mezzo» della sua esistenza terrena, al compimento di un’alta missione di rieducazione dell’umanità. Ritrovare e seguire la propria «diritta via» significa per lui ricorrere alla poesia per cesellare in lezioni appassionanti e in allegorie raffinate le più alte verità del sistema dottrinario cristiano. Indicare in questo modo agli uomini l’orientamento corretto verso la «perfezione» significa far loro capire che la vera beatitudine è, nell’eternità, guardare a tutta la realtà creata con l’occhio di Dio che l’ha voluta e amarla come Dio la ama.
Per questa selva oscura. La teologia poetica di Dante
GIULIO D'ONOFRIO
2020-01-01
Abstract
In a hidden invocation found in an ancient and little known early medieval commentary on the first books of the Bible, written by the Italian monk Bruno di Segni toward the end of the eleventh century, one unexpectedly finds the source that gave Dante the original idea of the «dark wood» — a wood that was «bitter», «rough», «stern» and deviated from «the straight path» — on which the Commedia based its dramatic opening scene. In the hands of Giulio d’Onofrio, such a discovery becomes the occasion for offering a new perspective on the approach to the philosophical and theological thought of Dante Alighieri. Thus, the reader discovers that Dante’s direct sources of knowledge were not only the ancient classics and the contemporary poets, scholars, philosophers and university magistri, but his sources also included some of the chief representatives of patristic literature (from Ambrose and Augustine, to Jerome) and the monastic wisdom of the early Middle Ages (from such «founders» as Boethius, Cassiodorus, and Gregory the Great, to such more recent, celebrated models of theological thought as John Scotus, Anselm of Aosta, and Bernard of Clairvaux; from the erudite Isidore of Seville and Rabanus Maurus, to the contemplative Richard of Saint Victor). The new light stemming from both the dense theories and the meditative, mystical spirituality of this tradition of thought, which was dominated by the unifying, theoretical and practical principle of universal caritas, reveals within the entirety of Dante’s work the specific character of his vocation as a poet-theologian: the awareness of being called in the «middle» of his earthly existence to the fulfilment of a higher mission to reeducate humanity. For him, to rediscover and follow his «straight path» meant making use of the expressive medium of theological poetry in order to carve the deepest truths of the Christian doctrinal system into impassioned lessons and refined allegories that would be efficacious and unforgettable for those who read them. To show human beings in this way the correct orientation toward «perfection» means to make them understand that true happiness will be viewing all reality with the eye of the God who created it; desiring reality as God desires it; and loving reality as God loves it.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
