Previous
Justinian
Dante meets Charles Martel while visiting the heavenly sphere of Venus. The historical Charles Martel was roughly Dante’s contemporary, a 13th-century member of the Angevin dynasty. As a young prince, Martel visited Florence, supported the interests of the Guelph faction, and apparently befriended Dante. In Paradiso, Martel explains the doctrine of God’s providence.
Get the entire Paradiso LitChart as a printable PDF.
Charles Martel Character Timeline in Paradiso
The timeline below shows where the character Charles Martel appears in Paradiso. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Canto 8
...to hear what he has to say. One of these souls reveals himself to be Charles Martel , who had once been Dante’s close friend. When Martel talks about the decline of...
(full context)
Charles Martel replies, explaining that God’s providence works through creation in various ways. If this were not...
(full context)
