Oscar winner Roberto Benigni in Athens

Roberto Benigni will be in Athens to present excerpts from Dante's Divine Comedy in two performances at the Athens Concert Hall on 5 and 6 May. The famous Italian comic and director, who received three Oscars for his film Life is Beautiful, is touring internationally with a performance called Inferno e Paradiso, which presents Hell, one of the three parts of the Divine Comedy. He has especially selected to present the 5th Canto, which addresses the meaning of love, for his appearance in Athens.

The Italian comic has directed many films and has starred in even more. His first public appearance came in the 1970s when he took part in a popular television show. He became more involved in directing in the 1980s, and his career reached a peak in 1997 with his direction of the tragic comedy, Life is Beautiful.

This time, the audience will enjoy the Italian actor in Dante's Divine Comedy, considered one of the most important literary works in the world. It has been called the "epitome of the medieval world."

The poem is divided into three parts - Hell, Purgatory and Heaven - and relates Dante's imaginary journey through Hades. It is believed that the initial title was Comedy, and that Divine was added in 1555 by Boccaccio.