Dan Brown's Inferno Cover Offers A Clue About The Setting

Last month, we learned that The Da Vinco Code author Dan Brown will bring his popular character Robert Langdon back for a new story with Inferno, a new novel due out this May. Today we have a look at the cover art for the book, which offers a nod to the inspiration for the story and a clue about the setting. Check it out ahead.

Inferno takes Harvard professor Robert Langdon to Italy for another mystery and adventure, where he faces adversary and an ingenious riddle "that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways and futuristic science." When we learned about the publication date for Inferno, we also learned that the book would focus on the history and mystery of the first part of Dante Alighieri's epic poem Divine Comedy. So a profile of Dante's face on the cover of the novel seems fitting.

As EW points out when they posted the above photo. you can see a bit of Florence over on the left there. That may very well be the "heart of Italy" referenced in the book's description. It certainly does look like the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (and it's recognizable dome), and given the art and history in Florence, it'd be a perfect place for Langdon's next adventure.

I'm curious about the disc surrounding Dante's head. Set over the background map, it looks like a stamp, but with Dante's head fixed in the center, it also looks like a coin. And then factoring in Brown as the author, the history that will be incorporated in the story, and the Roman numerals, it could be some kind of decoder, sundial or calendar or some other clue that ties into the story. What does it mean?! We'll find out when Inferno hits shelves May 14.

Pre-order Inferno on hardcover here or Kindle here.

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.