The Initiatory Rose From the Rose of Dante and of the Fedeli d’Amore to the Rose of Nerval

The theme of love and the symbol of the rose have a privileged place in the work of Nerval, who shares this inspiration with one of his literary models: Dante. In the nineteenth century, Gabriele Rossetti proposed an esoteric interpretation of Dante’s work, linked to the confraternity of the Fedeli d’Amore (Faithful of Love). This article shows that Dante and Nerval share the same idea of love and the same symbolism of the rose, the initiatory flower.