Dante And The Cannibal Count

In Dante's famous "Inferno," the Italian poet condemns the legendary Count Ugolino della Gherardesca to gnaw on a skull for eternity. But was the Pisan nobleman really a cannibal? Did he eat his own children and grandchildren after they were imprisoned together for treason in 1288? Modern science's answer is no.

Francesco Mallegni, A University of Pisa paleoanthropologist, solved the 13th-century mystery by conducting DNA tests on remains found earlier this year in the Cathedral of San Francesco. The scientist--known as the "professor of excellent cadavers" for work that includes reconstructing the skull of early Renaissance artist Giotto--examined the five skulls and bones discovered in a tomb in the former chapel of the Gherardesca family. Mallegni found that Ugolino not only did not eat his descendants, but that he was hardly in a condition to eat anything at all.

Mallegni spoke to NEWSWEEK's Nicole Martinelli about his findings--and why Dante wrote what he did. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: How can you be sure that these are the remains of Count Ugolino and his family?

Francesco Mallegni: We can be about 98 percent certain. The results are from genetic tests--mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited through the mother--and they tell us how the bones are related. Gaddo and Uguccione [Ugolino's sons], for instance, were brothers ... The two grandchildren Nino and Anselmuccio were said to be cousins by unrelated mothers and the tests bore that out as well. They were all very similar in bone structure--very tall for that time, all about 1.8 meters [almost 6 feet]. We also had samples from living Gherardesca family members, so we put together what we know historically and what we can learn scientifically.

What do the latest tests tell us about the count?