Sì come rota ch'igualmente è mossa’ dalla Metafisica al Paradiso

The article proposes a philosophically grounded interpretation of sì come rota ch’igualmente è mossa, a line – the penultimate one of Dante’s Paradiso (xxxi- ii 144) – on which no full con- sensus has been reached so far. In the here suggested view, it refers to the celestial movement, as explained by Aristotle, Meta- physics Lambda (i.e. Metaphysics book 12), chapters 6-7. The theory at issue is the very same theory of the first unmoved mover which opens the Paradiso (i 1) and keeps being recalled in its fi- nal line (amor che muove il sole e le altre stelle, xxxiii 145). Yet, the content is fully original on Dante’s part: amor becomes a driving force (già volgeva) acting not only upon the Heavens (as Aristotle allegedly says), but, like- wise (sì come, 144) upon Dante’s will and desire (il mio desio e’l velle xxxiii 143).