Commentary Purg XIII 7

The verse 'Ombra non lì è né segno che si paia' (There are no shades nor any carvings) has drawn some more complicated discussions than our translation would call for.  As does Musumarra (Musu.1967.1), p. 442, we believe that the word ombra here means a 'shade,' and is to be distinguished from segno, which here means 'designs,' i.e., such as the intaglios that were found on the preceding terrace.  In other words, the travelers see neither penitents nor carvings as they first examine this new space.  Some others are of the opinion that both words refer to the shapes and designs on the wall of the terrace of Pride and not even the first of them to the penitents themselves.  However, once the latter become manifest to Dante and Virgil, they are referred to as ombre; in fact this word is used as often in this canto as in any other of the poem (Purg. XXI also shows the word five times).  It appears here and then again at [Purg XIII 47], [Purg XIII 68], [Purg XIII 83], and [Purg XIII 100]; it is clear that all four of these later uses refer to 'shades.'  It is a curious fact that occurrences of the word ombra are far more numerous in Purgatorio than in both other cantiche together: 47 appearances as compared to 26 in Inferno and 16 in Paradiso.