Italy marks the third edition of Dantedì, the national day dedicated to Dante Alighieri, on Friday 25 March. The annual event in honour of the mediaeval poet and philosopher - known as the Father of the Italian language - follows the 700th anniversary of his death last year. A programme of Dante-themed events takes place across Italy on Friday, from readings and conferences to documentary screenings and theatrical productions. 

25 March was chosen for Dantedì as it is the date given by scholars for the start of the journey to the afterlife in Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. The long narrative poem represents a 14th-century vision of the afterlife, describing Dante's journey through the three realms of the dead: Inferno (hell), Purgatorio (purgatory), and Paradiso (heaven).