Commentary Purg XX 46-48

For the series of events in Flanders that culminated in the uprising of the Flemish cities in 1302 see Singleton's commentary (DDP Singleton.Purg.XX.46).  While the French did manage to hold on to some of the territory of Flanders, their military defeat at Courtrai in July 1302 must have seemed to Dante in some respects a punishment for what was done to Florence in the same year.  Hugh's words ring out as a prophetic hope to see his descendants justly punished, but have a particular resonance for an Italian auditor.  See Santelli (Sant.2001.1), pp. 21-23, for the political atmosphere of the Italy in which Dante was composing this very political canto, which Chiavacci Leonardi (Chia.1994.1), p. 579, refers to as 'the last "political" canto of the Purgatorio' (although Purg. XXXII surely also has some claim to be so considered).