The Vision of the Empyrean and the Rose of Paradise

Dante and Beatrice ascend to the Primum Mobile, the ninth heaven, and then to the Empyrean, the tenth heaven, which is pure light. Dante sees a river of light that transforms into a vast white rose, the Rose of Paradise. The souls of the blessed are seated on petals of the rose, and angels fly between them like bees. Beatrice points out the empty throne awaiting Emperor Henry VII. She condemns the corruption of the papacy and the greed of the clergy. This vision is the culmination of the Paradiso, the final revelation of the heavenly kingdom.