“The real-life individuals Dante encounters in heaven and hell betray his political viewpoints. He opposed the aspirations of Pope Boniface VIII and longed for the Church to focus on the afterlife rather than earthly riches. Politically, he was nostalgic for the heyday of the Roman Republic, when leaders were loyal not to themselves but to the Republic.”    — Tim Brinkhof, “Dante’s Divine Comedy isn’t only about religion. It’s a political statement.”, Big Think, July 4, 2023