Italian Dante Scholar Will Join Faculty

World-renowned Dante scholar Lino Pertile will almost certainly teach at Harvard next fall, sources said yesterday.

Although the University has not yet formally extended an offer to Pertile, it is expected to within the week, according to Pescosolido Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Franco Fido.

"It's no secret that we want him to come, he wants to come and the ad hoc committee has recommended his appointment. So, now it's between the Dean [of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles] and him," Fido said. "I know that Harvard is going to offer him a position in the next few days."

Sources close to the administration said yesterday that a formal offer will go out sometime this week, If offered a professorship, Pertile said in a phone interview yesterday that he will accept.

"I'm looking forward to teaching highly motivated students and to working with an extremely good library and in an extremely intellectual environment," said Pertile, 55.

The Italian-born scholar currently chairs the Italian department at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, but he was a visiting professor at Harvard last year. Although he specializes in Dante and medieval literature, he is also interested in contemporary Italian literature, he said.

Pertile will fill a gap in Dante studies left when Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature Dante Della Terza retired last year, according to Fido.

"For me, it has been really a long search," Fido said. "We wanted to be sure that someone of his caliber could join our faculty....This should begin a new chapter in the teaching of Italian literature and Italian language at Harvard."

"There are many Dante scholars, but he is one of those scholars whose work changes our perceptions," Fido added.

Pertile enjoys teaching, said one student, who was in both Pertile's seminar on Dante's Inferno and his course on contemporary Italian poetry last year.

"He encourages students to really pursue what they're interested in and figure out what they're interested in," said Chiara Frenquellucci, a second-year graduate student in Italian. "He always leaves enough space for the students to express their opinions."

Pertile said that he will teach both undergraduates and graduate students next fall if he is offered a position.