Canto XXIV
Seeing Virgil's mood change from anger to affection, Dante is reminded of a despairing peasant who thinks he cannot feed his flock but becomes relieved as the sun melts the frost on the fields. They have arrived to the ruins of the bridge, and although Virgil helps Dante mount the treacherous rocks, Dante is exhausted when they reach the top. Virgil exhorts him to continue up the path, and Dante feigns readiness. As they move forward Dante hears an angry voice and sees that the seventh chasm is full naked souls running among serpents.
This chasm is the eternal prison of thieves. One soul is bit in the neck by a serpent and turned into dust, which then immediately reforms into the shape of the anguished soul. He is Vanni Fucci, a savage Tuscan who robbed a church of its furniture and allowed another to be punished for it. He is very ashamed to be seen by a living man and in order to pain Dante foretells the disasters that will befall Dante's family and political party.
Topic Tracking: Politics 7
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