Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri, ranked as one of the greatest Italian poets, was born in Florence in 1265 and died in 1321.

Besides being the first important author who wrote in his native language instead of Latin, he is best known for his three part work The Divine Comedy. The three parts are the “Inferno” (Hell), which consists of 34 cantos, the “Purgatorio” (Purgatory), and the “Paradiso” (Paradise), both having 33 cantos.

Another well-known work of his is the Vita Nuova, written between 1292 and 1294.

His first love and inspiration for many of his poems was Beatrice, whom he had known since he was a child, but she died at an early age in 1290. Dante married Gemma di Manetto Donati and they had several children.

He lived during the later Middle Ages, in a time where the conflict between the two political factions, the Guelphs, who Dante’s family sided with, and the Ghibellines, prevailed. The Guelphs supported the pope while the Ghibellines supported the Holy Roman Emperor. Dante allied himself with the white Guelphs and after the victory of the black Guelphs he was banished. He lived in exile and was not allowed back in Florence and therefore went to Verona, Bologna, and possibly Paris.

For more information about Dante see:

Link 1

For more information about the Guelphs and Ghibellines see:

Link 2