Statue of 13th century poet Dante approved

Plans to install a statue of the 13th century poet Dante in Midhurst have been approved by Chichester District Council.

An application by Harvey Tordoff of the Midhurst Society sought permission for the 2.16m (7ft) bronze statue to be put up near South Pond, close to the town's ornamental footbridge.

It was created by Midhurst resident and sculptor Philip Jackson, whose other works include Wembley Stadium's 6m (20ft) statue of footballer Bobby Moore.

The application said Mr Jackson had proposed to gift the now green-lighted statue.

A design statement submitted with the application said: “Midhurst is the adopted home of the sculptor Philip Jackson, and it would be fitting to have a Philip Jackson statue on prominent display in the town."

While Midhurst has no link to Dante, Chichester is twinned with Ravenna, where his tomb attracts thousands of visitors each year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The statue will depict Dante holding an open book – The Divine Comedy, which is widely considered to be one of the most important poems of the Middle Ages.

Perched on the pages will be three figures – Dante himself, along with Virgil and Beatrice, his companions in Purgatory seeking Paradise.

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