Figura come frammento: sulle tracce del metodo di Auerbach negli studi su Dante

The paper aims to demonstrate that Figura, Auerbach’s most relevant work in the field of Dante Studies, has to be considered more a test of Auerbach’s literary theory, rather than a key to interpreting the whole Divine Comedy. Following the path of Auerbach’s reflections on Dante, from the early essays to Mimesis, the paper shows, on one hand, how the birth of figural exegesis is strictly linked with the development of Auerbach’s practice of reading texts through ‘fragments’. On the other hand, Figura proves to become gradually less necessary to explain Auerbach’s global interpretation of Dante’s masterpiece. In conclusion, to understand its legacy, in Figura, it is essential to distinguish two aspects: one related to the contents, one to Auerbach’s method, which is today to be considered primary.