Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri

Dante was born in late May 1265 in Florence, Italy. He would grow to become a great Italian poet and most famous for his work The Divine Comedy, better known as Inferno, Paradiso, and Purgatorio. In which he explores Hell, Heaven, and Purgatory.

He was originally born into lower nobility. His mother died when Dante was still young and his father died when Dante was 18. There isn't too much known about his education, but we can say that he looked to Brunetto Latini, a Florentene philosopher for inspiration.

He led an exciting life. During an Italian civil war in which the Guelphs and Ghibellines were pitted against one another, Dante served in the army under the Guelphs in 1289. At about this time he married Gemma Donati, a member of a prominent Florentine family. His first love, however was a lady named Beatrice which can be identified in his first work La Vita Nouva.

Dante was a politician, trying to unite the European cities, but when it failed, he was exiled from Florence. He spent his dying days in Ravenna. He died on September 12th - 13th, 1321. Among his last works were his trying to fit all the information gathered in one year in a book and deciding if any point of Earth was lower than sea - level.

His work, The Divine Comedy is named so because it ends happy in Heaven. It is like a tour of Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. More important than his theological views are the historical figures he finds in each level of the after - life. His work has been translated into 25 languages and still holds very popular and respected.