Dante’s “gran palazzo” in Purgatorio X, re-visited by Botticelli

This paper explores the depiction of the gran palazzo in Sandro Botticelli’s drawing for Canto X of Dante Alighieri’s Purgatorio, highlighting its unique role as one of the few elaborated architectural settings within the artist’s Commedia cycle. While Dante provides only a brief and generic mention of the palace, Botticelli develops a complex architectural space that blends contemporary Renaissance references with illusionistic spatial construction. Far from being a mere backdrop, the gran palazzo engages with broader thematic concerns such as the social dynamics of Purgatory, the moral contrast between humility and pride, and the paragone between artistic media. Through his refined use of perspective, architectural vocabulary, and symbolic elements, Botticelli not only visualizes Dante’s concept of visibile parlare (“visible speech”) but also contributes a deeply intellectual and original interpretation of the Commedia in line with late Quattrocento artistic discourse.