The territory of the Balkan peninsula through the prism of Italian literature from Dante to Ariosto

This paper classifies and analyses references to cultural, geographical, and other characteristics of the Balkan peninsula by Italian medieval and Renaissance authors including Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch. The concept that is today known as 'the Balkans', in its cultural and geographical sense, only started to be researched in the 19th century. Evidently, this territory had its own historical and cultural development before it became known as 'the Balkans'. Given the geographical closeness between the Balkan peninsula and that of Italy, interrelations were inevitable, and are witnessed by many Italian medieval and Renaissance authors. This research endeavours to classify these literary allusions and determine their importance for the culture of Italy, as well as that of the Balkan peoples, but also for the intercultural relations between Italy and the populations residing in the Balkan peninsula.