A unique and extraordinary copy of the second edition of the Alinari Divina Commedia, containing eighty-nine original sketches and drawings made mainly on the occasion of the competition to illustrate Dante's poem held in May 1900 by the Fratelli Alinari firm in Florence.The competitors had to send drawings for at least two cantos from the Inferno, and in June 1901 the works were exhibited at La Società di Belle Arti in Florence. The first prize was awarded to Alberto Zardo, the second one to Armando Spadini, while the third prize was divided equally between Duilio Cambellotti and Ernesto Bellandi. In the same period the Alinaris commissioned illustrations for the other two cantiche of the poem. In all, 381 illustrations by fifty-nine Italian artists were created, which taken as a whole reflect both the popularity of Dante at the time and the influence of Symbolism, the Pre-Raphaelites and Art Nouveau in Italy. The first edition of this artistic masterpiece appeared in 1902-1903. Most of the original works, both those submitted for the competition and those commissioned later by the Alinari, are now dispersed among public and private collections, but eighty-nine – among the most important ones – remained in the possession of the Alinari, and were later mounted on cardboard and inserted into Vittorio Alinari's personal copy of the Commedia. The present copy contains drawings by twenty-three artists, including Alfredo Baruffi, Ernesto Bellandi, Silvio Bicchi, Pietro Chiesa, Giovanni Costetti, Adolfo De Carolis, Natale Faorzi, Giacomo Lolli, Armando Spadini, Alberto Zardo, and in particular Duilio Cambellotti, whose illustrations to Dante are justly praised for their very high quality and much sought after by art collectors. Published in 1922, boo in very good condition, inside very good, light foxing especially at the beginning and at the end of the book. Illustrations in fine condition, a few with small creases on margins. Original cloth with light signs of wear, rear hinges with some wear-see last photo. Number 239 of a limited edition of 1000 copies. Scarce. Rarity.