Quaestio de aqua et terra

What it is

The Quaestio de aqua et terra (Question on Water and Land) is a Latin treatise written by Dante Alighieri in 1320, addressing a scholarly debate about the position and shape of water and land as elements. It survives in its original Latin.

Why it matters

Written near the end of Dante's life, this treatise shows that he was not only a poet but also engaged with the natural philosophy and scientific debates of his time. It gives a different picture of Dante than his poetry alone, as someone who took part in formal academic argument using the language of scholars, Latin.

Look closer

• Why might Dante have chosen to write this in Latin rather than Italian, unlike much of his poetry?
• What does this text suggest about the kinds of questions educated people debated in Dante's time?
• How does this scientific writing compare to the imaginative world of the Divine Comedy?