The Door of Purgatory: A Study of Multiple Symbolism in Dante's Purgatorio
The foundational monograph for Armour's Dante scholarship and a natural entry point to his work.
Author guide
Peter Armour Books in Order
Peter James Armour (1940–2002) was a British scholar of Italian literature and research professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. His scholarship ranged across Dante, Michelangelo, Galileo, medieval culture, and the intellectual contexts of Italian literature, with particular emphasis on the Divine Comedy and Purgatorio. He also co-authored educational works and wrote the children's picture book Stop That Pickle!.
academic nonfictionItalian literatureDante studieschildren's picture books
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Stop That Pickle!
A concise entry point to Armour's separately published children's writing.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (4)
- Subject Introductions. Level 2
nonfiction · 1993
- Introduction to Italian Studies
nonfiction · 2000
Essays and speeches (1)
- Crabtree's Vision: Ambivalence, Angst, Apocalypse
pamphlet · 1992
Children's books (1)
- Stop That Pickle!
picture-book · 1993
A pickle tries to escape being eaten by fleeing through the city streets, pursued by a variety of other food items.
Frequently asked questions about Peter Armour
Who was Peter Armour?
Peter Armour was a British scholar of Italian literature and one of the leading Dante scholars of his generation. He was also a research professor of Italian at Royal Holloway, University of London.
What was Peter Armour’s full name, and when did he live?
His full name was Peter James Armour. He was born in Fleetwood, Lancashire, on November 19, 1940, and died on June 18, 2002.
What was Peter Armour’s academic career?
After studying Italian at Manchester, Armour taught at Sheffield and Leicester before joining the University of London and later Royal Holloway. At Royal Holloway he served as professor of Italian and headed the department until 1996.
What influenced Peter Armour’s scholarship?
His early education in seminary schools and at the English College in Rome gave him substantial training in philosophy and theology. He drew on that background when interpreting Dante and studying figures such as Michelangelo and Galileo within their intellectual and cultural contexts.
How is Peter Armour remembered today?
Armour is remembered for strengthening Royal Holloway’s Italian department and for his internationally recognized contribution to Dante studies. Royal Holloway also established a Peter Armour Memorial Prize for undergraduate achievement in Dante, medieval Italian literature, and Renaissance culture.
Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)intranet.royalholloway.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)