Dante in the Armenian World: From Translation to Poetic Creation

Dante’s The Divine Comedy has played such a role in the history of Western culture and civilization that it requires little introduction. Briefly providing an historical summary of the context of Dante’s importance, this book will quickly shift to explore how Dante’s rich literary heritage was received in the Armenian cultural and linguistic landscapes, paying particular attention to its role and significance. I will then provide an analysis of the Armenian translations of Dante’s work, focusing especially on the contributions of the Armenian monks of the San Lazzaro island in Venice. Finally, a third section will discuss Dante’s influence on Armenian poets. In spite of the great popularity of Dante’s Commedia in the Armenian world, a monograph on this topic still does not exist. This publication will first shed light on the rich Armenian Dante tradition. Second, it will consider the historical context for this tradition in the Armenian language, connecting it to its larger significance on the world literary stage. It will also prepare the ground for similar research projects relating to Dante’s legacy in different cultures. Finally, it will be of utmost value to Dantists in general as they continue to expand their studies beyond the hegemonic Western cultural and linguistic frames to explore Dante’s reception and influence on a minority cultural stage.