Purgatorio: Journey Through Dante's Seven Terraces

Canto X: The Proud

Entering the first terrace of Purgatory, the proud begin their slow ascent, burdened by the weight of their sin. Sculptures carved into the rock depict scenes of humility, a stark contrast to their prideful nature. The penitents, bent low like worms, bear the physical manifestation of their spiritual condition.

Canto XI: Prayers for the Proud

The journey through the first terrace continues, as the proud souls inch along their path. Prayers are offered for their purification, a testament to the hope of redemption that permeates even this realm of suffering.

Canto XII: An Angelic Encounter

A radiant being appears, guiding the way and revealing the steps that lead to the next level. With a touch of its wings, Dante feels lighter, his burden eased as the first "P" for "proud" is erased from his forehead. He notices six more "P"s remain, marking the stages of his purification.

Canto XIII: The Envious

Reaching the second terrace, Dante and his guide encounter the envious, their souls shrouded in an ethereal blindness. Prayers to Mary, Peter, and the saints are offered on their behalf.

Canto XIV: Encounters with Envy

The journey through the second terrace continues, with further encounters with souls consumed by envy during their earthly lives.

Canto XV: A Heavenly Messenger

A brilliant light, a messenger from Heaven, appears, beckoning Dante to ascend to the next terrace. The radiant glow momentarily blinds him, a symbol of the divine power that guides his journey.

Canto XVI: The Wrathful

The third terrace is shrouded in a thick cloud of smoke, a visual representation of the anger that consumes the wrathful souls within.

Canto XVII: Love's Purification

Emerging from the smoke, Dante's vision clears, and he reflects on the nature of love and its purification. A divine spirit, hidden within its own light, resides in this circle, purifying love that has strayed from its true purpose.

Canto XVIII: The Slothful

The fourth terrace houses the slothful. A discourse on the nature of love and the soul's inherent predisposition towards it unfolds. The sin of sloth, a failure to embrace love's potential, is explored.

Canto XIX: A Miser's Fate

The journey through the fourth terrace continues, with the encounter of a soul whose life was marred by avarice.

Canto XX: The Avaricious and Prodigal

The fifth terrace holds both the avaricious and the prodigal, two sides of the same coin, both distorted expressions of the relationship with material possessions.

Canto XXI: A Shadow from Hell

A shade appears, greeting the travelers. Dante's guide explains the circumstances that led to this soul's removal from Hell.

Canto XXII: Justice and Temptation

Ascending to the sixth terrace, an angel erases another "P" from Dante's forehead, proclaiming, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice." The tree of temptation comes into view.

Canto XXIII: The Gluttonous

The sixth terrace is home to the gluttonous, who bear the weight of their excessive indulgence.

Canto XXIV: Tales of Gluttony

The gluttonous souls continue to share their stories of earthly excess, as the tree of temptation looms over them.

Canto XXV-XXVII: The Lustful

The seventh terrace is engulfed in flames, through which the lustful walk, their cries of "Viva Sodom and Gomorrah" echoing their earthly desires. The angel of chastity appears, and Dante is bathed in the light of Paradise.

Canto XXVIII: The Garden of Eden

Dante finds himself in the Garden of Eden, its beauty described through the eyes of Matilda, a solitary figure who embodies the purity of this sacred space.

Canto XXIX-XXXIII: Earthly Paradise

The earthly paradise unfolds, a vibrant tapestry of symbolic imagery: seven candlesticks, twenty-four elders crowned with lilies, four beasts with six wings, a two-wheeled chariot, three dancing women, and four more in purple. This rich spectacle culminates Dante's journey through Purgatory.