Commentary Inf II 83

in questo centro. Singleton (DDP Singleton.Inf.II.83) speaks of the 'strong pejorative connotation' of Dante's phrase, stemming from 'the well-established view that the earth's position at the center of the universe is the most ignoble -- because it is farthest from God and His angels.' Singleton goes on to cite from a sermon of Fra Giordano da Rivalto, characterizing the true center of the earth as 'that point within the earth which is in its midst, as the core is in the midst of an apple. We believe that hell is located there, at the true center.'