Dante Alighieri
Italy
1265-1321
Dante Alighieri was born c. June 1265, in the Italian city of Florence. He was promised to his future wife at the age of 12, ... Read more
Dante Alighieri was born c. June 1265, in the Italian city of Florence. He was promised to his future wife at the age of 12, although he had already fallen in love with another girl whom he called Beatrice. He was never together with Beatrice but his love for her lingered on to inspire his greatest poetry, Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy.)
As a young man, Dante Alighieri fought in the wars that were always going on between rival cities. In Florence, he became involved in the political power struggle. His lady love, Beatrice, married another man, and then, when she was just 24, she passed away. Dante was extremely heartbroken. He withdrew practically in isolation, and focused into intense study. He started composing poems dedicated to her memory. In 1295, Dante's political enemies won power in Florence. He had to leave the city never to return.
Now a political exile Dante wandered from city to city. He began to write The Divine Comedy, a long story-poem that describes an imaginary journey made by him through the three worlds of the afterlife – Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. In it, he gives a complete view of the universe from his spiritual vision, based on cosmography and the philosophy of his day. Dante's guide is derived from Aristotle's Prime Mover or Prima Mobilé. However, his influence and continuing guide for most of the journey is the ancient Roman poet Virgil. In heaven he is reunited with his long-dead beloved, Beatrice.
Dante Alighieri was a poet, a statesman, and a language theorist. His brilliant and poignant poem The Divine Comedy has inspired generations of writers and other artists with its beautiful language and moving love story.
From his writings, he also provided a fascinating insight into the beliefs of people during the times of medieval Europe. He died around the age of 56, September 14, 1321.
End note:
In his piece, Inferno, Dante writes, "How I became so frozen and so faint, reader, don't ask: I cannot write it down, because no utterance comes near to it. I didn't die, and I didn't stay alive."
As a young man, Dante Alighieri fought in the wars that were always going on between rival cities. In Florence, he became involved in the political power struggle. His lady love, Beatrice, married another man, and then, when she was just 24, she passed away. Dante was extremely heartbroken. He withdrew practically in isolation, and focused into intense study. He started composing poems dedicated to her memory. In 1295, Dante's political enemies won power in Florence. He had to leave the city never to return.
Now a political exile Dante wandered from city to city. He began to write The Divine Comedy, a long story-poem that describes an imaginary journey made by him through the three worlds of the afterlife – Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. In it, he gives a complete view of the universe from his spiritual vision, based on cosmography and the philosophy of his day. Dante's guide is derived from Aristotle's Prime Mover or Prima Mobilé. However, his influence and continuing guide for most of the journey is the ancient Roman poet Virgil. In heaven he is reunited with his long-dead beloved, Beatrice.
Dante Alighieri was a poet, a statesman, and a language theorist. His brilliant and poignant poem The Divine Comedy has inspired generations of writers and other artists with its beautiful language and moving love story.
From his writings, he also provided a fascinating insight into the beliefs of people during the times of medieval Europe. He died around the age of 56, September 14, 1321.
End note:
In his piece, Inferno, Dante writes, "How I became so frozen and so faint, reader, don't ask: I cannot write it down, because no utterance comes near to it. I didn't die, and I didn't stay alive."
