Dante’s Life
➔ Born in Florence, Italy, in 1265
➔ Two factions ruling the city
◆ Guelphs - supporters of the pope
◆ Ghibellines - supporters of the German emperor who claimed power in Italy
➔ Dante’s political career began in 1295 when the Guelphs were firmly established
➔ 1300 split in Guelph occurred
◆ Whites
◆ Blacks
➔ With the Whites in power, the Black Guelphs went to Rome to ask the people to
intervene on their behalf Ddante, and six others in charge had them prosecuted for his
action
➔ 1301 Black Guelphs staged a successful coup, and all Whtie Guelphs were sent into
exile, including Dante
➔ 1302 charged with graft (extortion), hostility against the pope, and a long list of other
crimes in his absence. Dante was sentenced to death if he were ever caught in Florence
again.
Dante’s Exile
➔ He never returned to his home city again
➔ All his fortunes were confiscated
➔ The family stayed in Florence and never reunited permanently as a complete family
again.
Dante’s Love Life
➔ He was betrothed to Gemma Donati when Dante was 12. He married her and had three
children Jacopo, Pietro, and Antonia (Dante’s sons had to join him in exile when they
turned 14)
Beatrice (His Love’s Ideal)
➔ Saw her from afar at age 9
➔ Exchanged greeting at 18
➔ Disapproval from B after many misunderstandings
➔ B. dies at 25
➔ Dante marries Gemma
➔ Dante has a vision of Beatrice at age 27
➔ She becomes the image of the perfect woman/feminine ideal.
The Divine Comedy
➔ Written when he was in exile
◆ Inferno 1314
◆ Paradiso 1320
◆ Purgatorio in between the two
➔ Once the Divine Comedy became popular, Florence wanted Dante back, but he died in
Ravenna in 1321
➔ Born in Florence, Italy, in 1265
➔ Two factions ruling the city
◆ Guelphs - supporters of the pope
◆ Ghibellines - supporters of the German emperor who claimed power in Italy
➔ Dante’s political career began in 1295 when the Guelphs were firmly established
➔ 1300 split in Guelph occurred
◆ Whites
◆ Blacks
➔ With the Whites in power, the Black Guelphs went to Rome to ask the people to
intervene on their behalf Ddante, and six others in charge had them prosecuted for his
action
➔ 1301 Black Guelphs staged a successful coup, and all Whtie Guelphs were sent into
exile, including Dante
➔ 1302 charged with graft (extortion), hostility against the pope, and a long list of other
crimes in his absence. Dante was sentenced to death if he were ever caught in Florence
again.
Dante’s Exile
➔ He never returned to his home city again
➔ All his fortunes were confiscated
➔ The family stayed in Florence and never reunited permanently as a complete family
again.
Dante’s Love Life
➔ He was betrothed to Gemma Donati when Dante was 12. He married her and had three
children Jacopo, Pietro, and Antonia (Dante’s sons had to join him in exile when they
turned 14)
Beatrice (His Love’s Ideal)
➔ Saw her from afar at age 9
➔ Exchanged greeting at 18
➔ Disapproval from B after many misunderstandings
➔ B. dies at 25
➔ Dante marries Gemma
➔ Dante has a vision of Beatrice at age 27
➔ She becomes the image of the perfect woman/feminine ideal.
The Divine Comedy
➔ Written when he was in exile
◆ Inferno 1314
◆ Paradiso 1320
◆ Purgatorio in between the two
➔ Once the Divine Comedy became popular, Florence wanted Dante back, but he died in
Ravenna in 1321
