On this day in 1321, Dante Alighieri, one of Italy’s most renowned poets, passed away in Ravenna. Known primarily for The Divine Comedy, Dante’s influence on Italian literature and culture is immeasurable. His life and works continue to captivate readers around the world.
The Divine Comedy
Dante’s Divine Comedy is a literary masterpiece. Written in the early 14th century, the epic poem is in three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). Dante’s guides on his journey through these realms are the Roman poet Virgil and, later, his idealised love, Beatrice.
The poem was written in the Tuscan dialect, which later became the foundation for modern Italian. It presents a vivid and imaginative depiction of the afterlife, while also being a deep reflection on morality, sin, and redemption. Beyond its religious themes, The Divine Comedy was Dante’s response to the political and social turmoil of his time, filled with personal grievances, criticism of corrupt figures, and philosophical musings on justice and human nature.
Read: Dante and The Divine Comedy
Exile from Florence
Political strife marred Dante’s life. In 1302, he was exiled from Florence due to his involvement in the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines – two rival factions vying for control in Italy. Accused of corruption and opposition to the Papacy, Dante Alighieri received a sentence of perpetual exile under the threat of death should he return to his beloved city.
This period of displacement greatly influenced his writings. Dante wrote much of The Divine Comedy during his years of wandering. The poem reflects the bitterness he felt of his exile in his depictions of Florentine politics. The city’s refusal to allow him to return deeply affected Dante, and he never saw Florence again.
His Final Resting Place
Dante Alighieri spent the last years of his life in Ravenna, where he was warmly received. He died there in 1321 after contracting malaria. His tomb, located in the city, has become a pilgrimage site for literary enthusiasts and scholars. Despite Florence’s efforts to have his remains returned, they have remained in Ravenna for over seven centuries.
Ironically, though he never returned in life, Florence has since honoured Dante’s memory with various monuments, including a cenotaph in the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Dante and Beatrice
One of the most iconic aspects of Dante’s life is his relationship with Beatrice Portinari, whom he immortalised in his works. Though their actual encounters were few, Beatrice was forever with Dante in spirit. She appears in The Divine Comedy as his spiritual guide through Paradiso, portrayed as the embodiment of divine love and beauty.
Dante first introduced Beatrice in La Vita Nuova (The New Life), a collection of poems and prose that reflect on his love for her. Despite marrying another woman, Gemma Donati, Dante’s adoration for Beatrice remained a central theme throughout his life and work. To him, Beatrice represented both earthly and divine perfection, transcending the limits of human love.
More than seven centuries after his death, Dante’s influence persists. He helped solidify the Italian language and remains a cornerstone of Italian identity. His ideas about love, politics, and justice still resonate with modern audiences, and The Divine Comedy is studied, interpreted, and revered globally.
Read the Divine Comedy
Robin Kirkpatrick’s masterful verse translation of The Divine Comedy, published in a single volume, is the ideal edition for students as well as the general reader coming to this great masterpiece of Italian literature for the first time
The Divine Comedy describes Dante’s descent into Hell with Virgil as a guide; his ascent of Mount Purgatory and encounter with his dead love, Beatrice; and finally, his arrival in Heaven. Examining questions of faith, desire and enlightenment, the poem is a brilliantly nuanced and moving allegory of human redemption.
This volume includes a new introduction, notes, maps and diagrams.
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