IMC 2006: Sessions

Love is a universal human emotion that can be found in all forms of art. The three authors of the papers presented here are members of the Interdisciplinary Center for Medieval Studies at the University of Salzburg, and present examples that have their roots in the European Middle Ages: The famous love affair of Paola Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini as impressively depicted by Dante (Rötzer), intercultural relations between Christians and Muslims portrayed by writers of the Golden Age of Spain (Schreiner), and a modern piece of public art using motifs of a renowned Nürnberg Mastersinger (Müller).

Abstract paper -a: Even after the Moors had to leave Spain in the course of the 16th century, there remains a strong Arab impact on Spanish culture. With regard to literature, the connections between Arab mystical poetry of Al-Andalus and the mystical poetry of St John of the Cross (and others) will be of special interest in this paper.

Abstract paper -c: When in 1995 a congress on film versions of Dante’s Divina Comedia was held in Ravenna (Italy), literary critics pointed out that between 1907 and 1995 twelve cinema films or screen productions had referred to the Inferno, while only three had been devoted to the Purgatorio, and only two had concerned the Paradiso.
Of the various scenes from the Divina Comedia that were portrayed in these twelve cinema or screen films, the love story between Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini can be considered the most popular item for film productions. In 1907, based on a literary text of Gabriele D’Annunzio, the first film about this love tragedy, titled Francesca da Rimini, was produced in the USA. One year later a slightly modified version of that film was reedited in Brooklyn, this time under the title The Two Brothers which referred to the conflict between Gianciotto and Paolo Malatesta.
On account of the tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, film directors were especially interested in realizing films concerning the destiny of these Italian lovers.
In my paper I intend to give an overview of how Dante’s description of Paolo and Francesca has inspired film producers, writers, and composers throughout the 20th century to create their own versions of this Italian love affair.