Dante

Dante Alighieri, commonly known simply as Dante, was an Italian poet of the late Middle Ages whose work helped establish the Italian vernacular as a literary language. He was born circa 1265 in Florence, then part of the Republic of Florence, and died in 1321 in Ravenna. His career was deeply influenced by the political factions of his city; after aligning with the White Guelphs, he was exiled in 1302 and spent the remainder of his life away from Florence.

Dante’s most renowned work is the Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia), an epic poem written in vernacular Italian that traces the narrator’s journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso). Composed in terza rima, the poem blends classical philosophy, Christian theology, and medieval symbolism. It is widely regarded as a cornerstone of world literature and a landmark in the development of Italian literature. Dante also produced Vita Nuova, a work mixing prose and poetry about his love for Beatrice; the Latin treatise De Monarchia; and other writings such as Convivio and various letters.

Legacy and influence of Dante are substantial. By writing in the vernacular and integrating diverse intellectual currents, he helped standardize the Italian language and influenced generations of poets and scholars. His fusion of moral inquiry, political commentary, and allegory has made him a central figure in both literary and religious traditions. Modern scholarship views Dante as a pivotal transmitter of medieval thought and a forerunner of Renaissance humanism.