Pesaro unveils 8-meter ice sculpture for Dante's 700th anniversary

For the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri's death, the city of Pesaro commissioned a monumental ice sculpture installation in Piazza del Popolo. The work, created by Francesco Falasconi and Matteo Renato of the Accademia Italiana Ghiaccio Artistico, consists of seven carved figures inspired by the opening and closing verses of the Inferno from the Divine Comedy. Among the literary characters, a contemporary female worker is included to symbolize the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women. The sculpture measures eight meters in length and two meters in width, required 150 hours of labor, and is preserved in a refrigerated structure at -10°C. The project was supported by Rivacold and Guerra Graziano srl. Cultural operator Lucia Ferrati, president of the association Le Voci dei Libri, described the work as a symbol of hope. Further celebrations in Pesaro include a three-day reading of the Divine Comedy from March 26 to 28 at the Centro Arti Visive Pescheria, a lecture by poet Gianni D'Elia at Palazzo Ducale on March 25, and a Dante-themed exhibition at the Biblioteca Oliveriana.