Dante’s Got Sand Between His Sheets

By idcrome

Sorry for the absence eCoolers. We've had some IMPORTANT things to take care of here in the Compound over the past week or so and that's kept us from blogging as faithfully as we'd like. But, we're back and we're bad! So stay tuned for some Rome ultra-coolness over the course of the next few weeks.

We're kicking off our Summer Coolfest with some sand sculptures from Jesolo Lido, a city near Venice on the east coast of the boot-shaped peninsula. Seems that Jesolo Lido has a thematic sand sculpture festival each year and that this summer they've asked a team of professional sand sculpture artists to illustrate Dante's Inferno (note to Compounders: possible alternative career).

In particular, artists were asked to take their inspiration from verses 1-9 of Canto III of the Inferno, words that Dante reads as he stands at the edge of the world of the damned souls:

Through me is the way into the woeful city; through me is the way into eternal woe; through me is the way among the lost people. Justice moved my lofty maker: the divine Power, the supreme Wisdom and the primal Love made me. Before me were no things created, unless eternal, and I eternal last. Leave every hope, ye who enter!

The international team of 18 participating artists have created the scenes, mythological figures, and the most famous characters from the Inferno, including
the figures of Charon, Paolo and Francesca, the terrible Cerberus, Count Ugolino and many others.

We haven't seen this. But we'd love to. It's on display at Jesolo Lido until July 31st and is open from 9am to 11pm. Those who are really well-versed can take advantage an area where spontaneous poets (this means you!) perform by reciting the Inferno.

The entry fee is a mere 2 euro. If you're in the area, make your way to the Casa Bianca Beach.

Source: eternally cool website