Dante Alighieri

Dante was born to a noble, but poor, family in 1265. He studied greatly with famous writers of his time and went to school at the Florentine University. When he was a young boy he first met Beatrice who would later be a huge inspiration to him and his writings. He became one of the 6 Priors of Florence in 1300. He was later forced out of his office in 1302 and sent into exile. He published the first part of The Divine Comedy, Inferno, in 1314. The poem greatly affected orthodox belief of Hell. He eventualy moved to Ravenna, Italy. He stayed there and finished writing The Divine Comedy. He died in Ravenna in 1321 of some illness he caught while traveling in north Italy.

Accomplishments

1265 - Born1274 - Meets Beatrice1283 - Marries Gemma Donati1300 - Becomes Prior1302 - Exiled1314 - "Inferno" Published1321 - Dies

He became a Prior of Florence, one of the six powerful magistrates of the city.Wrote The Divine Comedy, a collection of his experiences in life as viewed from an afterlife perpective.His book, The Divine Comedy, is commonly recognized as the greatest piece of poetry by an Italian poet and is rivaled only by William Shakespeare in literate skill.

Lasting Impact

Dante's impressive writings on Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory would become how many, though not all, viewed the afterlife. Inferno would be recognized as the real view of hell and its geography and occupants. Overall his collection The Divine Comedy would be recognized as an amazing piece of poetry rivaled only by Shakespeare.

Citations

"The World of Dante." The World of Dante. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2014. Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Trans. Michael Palma. New York: W.W. Norton, 2002. Print.

DanteAlighieri

Biography

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