Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)

### Birthdate

1265, The exact date of his birth is not known, but it is believed to be between May 21 and June 20.

### Born Place

Florence, Italy, in the San Martino quarter of the city.

### Education

Dante Alighieri received a rich education in classical and religious subjects, studying in centres such as Bologna, Padua, and Paris. He went to the Franciscan school at the Convent of Santa Croce and later attended the Dominican School of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. According to records, it is likely that he studied at the University of Bologna for a year.

### Occupation

Poet, writer, philosopher, and politician.

### Family

Father: Alighiero di Bellincione
Mother: Bella Abati

Siblings: half-siblings from his father's second marriage to Lapa Cialuffi. They were Francesco and Gaetana (Tana).

Children: Eliseo, Alighiero, Gabriello, and Pietro.

### Hair Color

In the video game Dante's Inferno, he is depicted with short brown hair. In a historical record on geni.com, there is no mention of his hair colour. In a description of Dante's appearance from a contemporary of his, Giovanni Boccaccio, he is described as having a thick, black, and crisp beard, but there is no mention of his hair colour.

### Best Known For

His epic poem, The Divine Comedy, which is considered one of the greatest works of medieval literature.

## About

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was an Italian poet, writer, philosopher, and politician. He was born in Florence, Italy, in 1265. Dante is best known for his epic poem, The Divine Comedy, which is widely considered one of the greatest works of medieval literature. The Divine Comedy was originally called Comedìa and later named Divina by Giovanni Boccaccio. The poem is divided into three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). Dante descends through Hell, climbs Purgatory, and arrives at the illumination of Paradise. Along the way, he meets many historical characters, including his guide, the Roman poet Virgil. Dante was born into a middle-class family with some pretensions to nobility. He probably attended church schools and spent a year at the University of Bologna. Dante fought in the battle of Campaldino in 1289 and later married Gemma Donati, with whom he had at least three children. Dante was also involved in politics and held several public offices in Florence. However, he was exiled from Florence in 1302 and spent the rest of his life in various cities, including Verona and Ravenna. Dante died in Ravenna on September 14, 1321, at the age of 56.

## Early Life and Education

Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 in Florence, Italy, into a noble family of minor aristocrats. He received a rich education in classical and religious subjects, studying in centres such as Bologna, Padua, and Paris. He was one of the most learned Italian laymen of his day, intimately familiar with Aristotelian logic and natural philosophy, theology, and classical literature. In his poetry as well as his philosophical treatises and other writings, he freely mingles and synthesizes philosophical and theological language as well extensive references and allusions to scripture and classical and contemporary poetry. His most famous work, The Divine Comedy, is a religious allegory that explores the afterlife and the nature of God.

## Personal life

Dante Alighieri lived a full life as a respected poet, philosopher, and politician. He was born in Florence, Italy, in 1265, to a family of minor aristocrats. He attended a grammar school, where his studies ranged from Latin to theology to philosophy3. He was married to Gemma Donati, and they had four children1. Dante was exiled from Florence in 1302 and spent the rest of his life in various cities, including Verona, Ravenna, and eventually, he died in Ravenna in 1321.

## Relationships

Dante Alighieri had a significant relationship with Beatrice Portinari, whom he first saw when he was nine years old. He fell in love with her instantly and loved her from afar for the rest of her life. Beatrice represented ideas of beauty and grace in Dante's works, and he was always in love with her, despite their very short encounters. Dante was married to Gemma Donati, and they had four children.

## Filmography

Dante Alighieri did not have a filmography, as he lived in the 13th and 14th centuries, long before the invention of cinema. However, there is a 2010 animated film called Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic, which is based on his epic poem, The Divine Comedy.

## Awards and legacy

Dante Alighieri's legacy is significant and enduring. He is considered one of the greatest poets in Italian literature and is credited with the creation of the modern Italian language by some scholars. His most famous work, The Divine Comedy, is considered one of the greatest works of medieval literature and has had a profound impact on Western literature and culture. Dante's influence can be seen in the works of later writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and T.S. Eliot. In 2021, Italy celebrated the 700th anniversary of Dante's death with a year-long celebration called Viva Dante, which included events such as public readings, concerts, and church services in his honor.

## Litigation

Dante Alighieri was accused of damaging Florence by seeking to separate it from the papal state in Rome and mishandling the city's finances. He was ordered to pay a huge fine, which would amount to between 50 million and 100 million euros today, in three days or face being burned at the stake should he return to Florence. Dante did not pay and went into permanent exile. In 2021, legal scholars argued at a special conference that Italy's courts can absolve Dante of the criminal sentences imposed on him by Florence, even 700 years after his death. The scholars argued that even old sentences can be revised, even if the condemned person is no longer alive.

## Quotes

Dante Alighieri is known for many famous quotes, including:

* “Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.”
* "My course is set for an uncharted sea.”
* "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”
* "There is no greater sorrow than to recall a happy time when miserable.”
* "The path to paradise begins in hell.”
* "In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, appear the words, ‘Here begins a new life’.”

These quotes are often cited as examples of Dante's wisdom and insight into the human condition.

## See also

Some additional resources related to Dante Alighieri include:

* Dante's Inferno Wiki, which provides information about Dante's works and their adaptations in popular culture.
* Dante's family tree on Geni.com, which includes information about his parents, siblings, and children.
* The Supreme Poet, an article on Italy IRL that explores Dante's life and legacy.
* Alighiero, an article on Infernopedia that provides information about Dante's father.

## References

1. https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2021/09/dante-700.html
2. https://dantesinferno.fandom.com/wiki/Alighiero
3. https://dantesinferno.fandom.com/wiki/Bella\_Abati
4. https://dantesinferno.fandom.com/wiki/Dante\_Alighieri
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alighiero\_di\_Bellincione
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante\_Alighieri
7. https://exhibits.library.villanova.edu/dante-illustrated/dante-s-biography
8. https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Dante/273912
9. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dante/
10. https://poets.org/poet/dante-alighieri
11. https://preraphaelitesisterhood.com/the-unrequited-love-of-dante-and-beatrice/
12. https://prezi.com/fawl1ws7iwc5/dante-alighieri-and-his-relationship-with-beatrice/
13. https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/dante-alighieri-196.php
14. https://sites.google.com/a/danteacademy.ca/main/school-history
15. https://study.com/academy/lesson/dante-alighieri-biography-works-quotes.html
16. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dante-Alighieri
17. https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/poets/dante-alighieri.html
18. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/d/the-divine-comedy-inferno/dante-alighieri-biography
19. https://www.courthousenews.com/dante-gets-a-bit-of-justice-700-years-after-his-death/
20. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dante-alighieri-1265-1321
21. https://www.famousauthors.org/dante-alighieri
22. https://www.geni.com/people/Dante-Alighieri/6000000012442001730
23. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5031312.Dante\_Alighieri
24. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/dante-reason-and-religion
25. https://www.imdb.com/filmosearch/?role=nm0019604
26. https://www.italyirl.com/important-things-you-should-know-about-dante-alighieri/
27. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/follow-dantes-footsteps-through-italy-180977029/
28. https://www.thedailybeast.com/dante-alighieris-life-was-weird-and-his-death-was-weirder
29. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/dante-alighieri-196.php
30. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/dante-biography/
31. https://www.worldhistory.org/Dante\_Alighieri/