Commentary Inf XIV 30

A clear reference to a line in a sonnet by Guido Cavalcanti, 'Biltà di donna' (A lady's loveliness), in which, describing things beautiful to behold, he refers to 'white snow falling on a windless day' (e bianca neve scender senza venti). While the citation seems certain, it was perhaps only observed by a commentator for the first time in 1905 (DDP Torraca.Inf.XIV.30), indicating a phenomenon worthy of note: Early commentators rarely if ever have read (or, if they have, pay attention to) Dante's vernacular poetic precursors as sources for his verse.