Poetry. Translation. Recognized as one of the great living poets of Italy, and several times a candidate for the Nobel Prize, Mario Luzi wrote EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY JOURNEY OF SIMONE MARTINI in 1994, when he was eighty years of age. In this book, translated from Italian by Luigi Bonaffini, the poet imagines the last voyage of the great painter from Avignon to his native Siena in the company of his family, servants, and a theology student. Their pilgrimage is a journey of discovery and purification that leads to a new, vibrant perception of reality. As the author writes, "the poem is also a return to origins, an unconscious search for a light purer than the splendid one that had exalted his colors". In this edition, both the original Italian, and the English translation are featured.