Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy in 1265. He was the heir of a poor but noble family. He was betrothed to Gemma Donati when both were children. This was a common practice of the time, and aimed at forging relationships between families.
Dante was both one of the greatest of Italian poets, and a political activist who was interested in church reform. He first took a political position in 1289 when he fought for Florence against the City of Areggo.
The Popes and the Holy Roman Emperor, represented by the Guelfs and the Ghibellines respectively, were enemies. The Ghibellines largely disappeared from Florence after the battles of 1289, but peace did not emerge. Instead, the Guelfs divided into the Whites and the Blacks (Dante was a white Guelf). The Whites favored the Emperor and were opposed to papal power, and thus were similar to the Ghilbellines.
Dante rose to a position of power. He became a prior for Florence and was ambassador to San Gimignano. In 1302, when Dante was on a diplomatic mission to the Pope in Rome, Charles Valoes entered Florence and seized power. Dante and others were exiled.
Dante had all of his property and goods confiscated. He was forced to wander from city to city and depend on noble patrons. This was a hard life and must have influenced the thoughts and therefore the writing of Dante later.
Dante contented himself with hoping for the appearance of a new and powerful Holy Roman Emperor who would unite the country. He focused more and more on his writing.
Dante had his hopes raised in 1308, with the election of Henry VII to Emperor. Henry laid siege to Florence in 1312, but was defeated and subsequently died a year later.
Dante married Gemma Donati. Together they had three or perhaps four children. For certain three were two sons, Pietro and Jacopo, and a daughter, Antonia.
Dante’s true love, however, was the girl Beatrice, whom he first met when both were nine. Beatrice married another man and died at age 25. It is not clear whether she truly knew about or returned Dante’s feelings.
Dante’s first work was “Vita Nuova” published in 1294. In the work Dante relates how he fell in love with Beatrice. Despite each marrying others, Dante’s spiritual love for her persisted and she served as an inspiration for him.
Dante wrote “De Vulgari Eloquentea” in 1304. It was an argument for writing poems and other works in the language people speak (in his case Italian) rather than Latin. At the same time, he wrote “Il Coninio” in which he discussed grammar and styles of poetry.
Dante published “de Monarchia” in 1313. In this work he argued that secular power or authority of a Prince comes not from the church or from the Pope, but from God. This was the embodiment of what he had been saying for some time.
Dante began to work on his most famous works “Divine Commedia” sometime during this period. By 1317, he had settled at the court in Lavenna where he completed the work. The first and second parts, entitled “Inferno” and “Purgatoreo” were known by 1319. The final part “Paradiso” was published in 1321.
Dante again showcases his “love”, Beatrice in” Divine Comedy”. It is she who enlists the aid of the poet Virgil to serve as Dante’s Guide. He is conducted through Purgatory, then the various circles of Hell, and finally to Paradise and beyond. The full poem is an allegory of human life and sums up the theological and intellectual knowledge of the Middle Ages. Famous personages of the times are shown, thinly disguised at best.
Dante died of September 14, 1321 in Lavenna at age 56. The last thirteen cantos of “Paradiso” were published posthumously. His works, written in the vernacular Tuscan, played a defining role in what Italian language is today. Prior to him, Italian was usually only spoken.
