Midhurst: Plans submitted for statue of 13th Century poet Dante

Plans to install a statue of the 13th Century poet Dante in Midhurst have been submitted to a council.

An application seeks permission for a 2.16m 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 statue of Bobby Moore.

The application said Mr Jackson had proposed to gift the statue.

The design statement, submitted to Chichester District Council by Harvey Tordoff of the Midhurst Society, said Midhurst was the sculptor's "adopted home".

"It would be fitting to have a Philip Jackson statue on prominent display in the town."

The statement added: "In an amazing gesture of generosity, Philip is proposing making a gift of the statue to the people of Midhurst - to be held on their behalf by Midhurst Town Council."

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

If the statue gets the go-ahead, it 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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