“Dante's path can be understood as a metaphor for the condition of medieval man, before the advent of the Renaissance: in a state of sin (Hell), passing through sincere repentance and forgiveness (Purgatory), and finally reaching communion with the fullness of the divine (Paradise). It is a search for truth through faith. Initially, the poet relies on the help of Virgil, a representative of classical pagan culture, and then follows the guidance of true love and holiness, which lead him to the very essence of the divine. This journey is not limited to the search for true love, although this is, naturally, the initial motivation. True love is transmuted into Divine Grace, which, through the contemplation of love and beauty, grants the poet a reflection of divine perfection. Human reason leads the soul to the threshold of faith, where Beatrice, the personification of divine love, takes over. In modern times, the path would be analogous, but the object of love would become reason. The search for truth would then be carried out through rational means. From ignorance (the “dark forest”), through reflection and the practice of virtues, man would arrive at knowledge, so that reason would guide him to the supreme truth. Both in the Middle Ages and in later periods, the search for the meaning of the absolute continued, whether through perfect faith or perfect reason.”