By Manlio Marano

The Second Round of the Seventh Circle is a dark and wild wood, made by leafless, gnarled trees. Here the Suicides and the Spendthrifts are chastised. The horrible Harpies make their nests on them. Dante hears some cries coming from the trees, then Virgil urges him to break off a branch. So blood comes from the tree, and with it the voice, which asks if Dante has no pity. This tree is the soul of Pier della Vigna, minister and advisor to Frederick II. He was absolutely faithful and honest to him, But he was accused of treason because of the envy of the court. As a protest, Pier della Vigna decided to suicide, thinking that it was the best way to demonstrate his innocence.
Then the spirit explains how the souls of the suicides are transfòrmed into trees and shrubs: after being judged by Minos, these sinners randomly fall in the wood. Here they germinate and become plants, which then are torn into pieces by the Harpies that eat their leaves. Afterwards, Pier della Vigna explains that after the Last Judgment, the souls of the suicides, instead of rejoining their body, will see it hanging from the respective tree. So, the suicides, that on Earth renounced to their body by killing themselves, will be separated from it for eternity.
While speaking with Pier della Vigna, Dante and Virgil are attracted by a noise and see two naked sinners who are running from two hounds. One of the spirits is caught by the hounds that tear him apart. These souls are the Spendthrifts, who during their lives had been reckless squanderers.
Then the two poets approach to a ragged bush, which is the soul of a unknown citizen of Florence. The canto ends with the words of this last spirit who says that Florence will always be affected by war, and then tells the story of his suicide by hanging.

And sorry if my English is not perfect.

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