Tomb of Dante, Ravenna

The Tomb of Dante is a neoclassical national monument constructed in 1781. It stands over the tomb of the renowned poet Dante Alighieri and is located next to the Basilica of San Francesco in central Ravenna.

The monument is surrounded by a "zona dantesca," where visitors are expected to maintain a solemn and respectful atmosphere. Adjacent to the monument, there is a small garden traditionally known as the Quadrarco di Braccioforte. The garden was originally a monastic cloister but now features a colonnade on one side. Its name comes from the historical event where two individuals invoked the "strong arm" of Christ to guarantee their contract, leading to the painting of that arm on the arch.

Dante spent the final years of his life in Ravenna and passed away there in 1321. His funeral took place in the cloister of the basilica, then a Franciscan monastery known as the Church of San Pier Maggiore, later renamed Basilica di San Francesco. He was initially interred outside the cloister, near the roadside, within an ancient Roman sarcophagus, where he continues to rest. In the late 15th century, Bernardo Bembo, the Venetian podestà of Ravenna, relocated the sarcophagus to the western side of the cloister.

Florence, Dante's hometown, began making requests to have his remains returned to their city, with the support of Pope Leo X and Pope Clement VII, both of whom were members of the Medici family. Despite an initial permission granted by Pope Leo X in 1519 to move the sarcophagus to Florence, the Franciscans had already clandestinely transferred Dante's bones to another location within the cloister, and when the Tuscan delegation arrived, they discovered the sarcophagus to be empty. It was then moved back into the cloister, where it was carefully guarded.

In 1921, a bronze garland was added to the foot of the sarcophagus in memory of those who perished in World War I. A marble plaque to the right of the sarcophagus describes its various restorations, and an iron gate to the adjacent garden was designed by the Venetian artist Umberto Bellotto. Dante's bones were concealed once again during World War II to protect them from potential destruction during bombings. They were interred in the garden from March 1944 until December 19, 1945, after which they were returned to the monument, now marked with a plaque.

The monument itself underwent restoration in 2006-2007, which included a complete repainting of its facades.