Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatorio Traditional Cache
Hidden : 10/15/2005
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The second part of a series of three geocaches

Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatorio

Parking can be found at these coordinates for all three geocaches in this series:
N43° 58.577
W80° 01.602
At the trailhead, there are steps over the fence.


The Author and the Book

The Divine Comedy was one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages and continues to be one of the greatest works of world literature today. It was written in 1307-1308 by Dante Alighieri. Dante was born in Florence, Italy in 1265 and died in Venice in 1321.

The Divine Comedy details the author’s imagined journey from Hell to Paradise. It is a weaving together of pagan myth, literature, philosophy, theology, sciences (physics, astrology, cartography, mathematics), history and politics into a complex poem. It was originally written in the Italian dialect (rather than Latin) so that it could be widely read. The effect of its greatness was immediately felt: the book was already being studied at universities starting in 1320.

I am including drawings by the French artist, Paul Gustave Doré (1832-1883) since they capture the essence of the poem so well.


The Geocaches

This is a series of three geocaches:

Divine Comedy, Part 1: Inferno (GCR07E)
Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatorio (GCR0AW)
Divine Comedy, Part 3: Paradiso (GCR0BF)

I tried to find a place which would take people down to a valley which was kind of scary and rocky and then allow them to take the slow ascent up to the heavens with a scenic view at the other side. We couldn’t really find anything exactly like that but did our best in the Hockley Valley area.

It makes sense to do the three caches in order but it does not have to be so. There is some back-tracking involved. Each part is a separate geocache and each is a small Tupperware-type container with trade items and a logbook.

Dante’s was a journey from Hell to Heaven but your journey, Geocaching Pilgrims, will just be a nice, long walk in the woods!

Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatorio

From Divine Comedy, Part 1: Inferno double back on the unofficial trail to the blue trail and follow the blue blazes to the white trail (Bruce Trail). You will see a large sign reading “to the valley” and continue on until you see a large old tree. Keep going (I couldn’t find a place to put the cache here!) Follow the trail across a few wooden bridges/boardwalks. On to the cache.

The gentle hue of oriental sapphire
in which the sky's serenity was steeped-
its aspect pure as far as the horizon-

brought back my joy in seeing just as soon
as I had left behind the air of death
that had afflicted both my sight and breast.
Canto 1, lines 13-18

We made our upward way through rifted rock;
along each side the edges pressed on us;
the ground beneath required feet and hands.

When we had reached the upper rim of that
steep bank, emerging on the open slope,
I said: "My master, what way shall we take?"

And he to me: "Don't squander any steps;
keep climbing up the mountain after me
until we find some expert company."
Canto 4, lines 31-39

Look here! For I am Beatrice, I am!
How were you able to ascend the mountain?
Did you not know that man is happy here?
Canto 30, lines 73-75



From that most holy wave I now returned
to Beatrice; remade, as new trees are
renewed when they bring forth new boughs, I was

pure and prepared to climb unto the stars.
Canto 33, lines 142-145

The next geocache is: Divine Comedy, Part 3: Paradiso (GCR0BF)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Va n fybjyl ebggvat gerr fghzc. Bss gur tebhaq. Va n fznyy bcravat whfg nobir tebhaq yriry ba gur onpx fvqr bs gur fghzc.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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