'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here' read the now-famous words above the gate through which Dante, the protagonist of Inferno, crosses the threshold. But that forbidding inscription applies only to those without faith; and though Dante's journey through the nine circles of Hell begins with terror and confusion, it ends with an understanding of the divine plan and the realisation of divine love.

Along the way, Dante meets an array of sinners from Christian and classical history and legend – a fascinating cast of characters that has intrigued and instructed readers since Inferno was first published in 1317.