As is common with medieval writers, our knowledge of Dante Alighieri's
personal life is limited. In his work Convivio (circa 1304-1307), also
known as The Banquet, Dante mentions that he was born in Florence,
Italy. Today, we estimate his birth occurred in late May or early June of 1265
in the city's San Martino district. His father, Alighiero di Bellincione
d'Alighieri, worked as a notary, and his mother, Donna Bella, was likely the
daughter of the noble Durante degli Abati. She passed away before Dante reached
fourteen, after which his father remarried Lapa di Chiarissimo Cialuffi. They
had two children together, a son named Francesco and a daughter named Tana.
Although the Alighieri family held noble titles, by 1265, their social standing
and wealth had diminished. Despite this, when Alighiero died around 1283, he
left his children reasonably well-off with properties in both the city and
countryside.
Around the same period, Dante fulfilled a marriage arranged by his father in 1277 by marrying Gemma Donati, a gentlewoman. They had two sons, Pietro and Jacopo, and at least one daughter, Antonia. It's possible...
they had another daughter, Beatrice, who might have been Antonia's monastic name. Dante's marriage and family life did not appear to influence his poetic work. In hisDivine Comedy (circa 1308-1321), he makes no mention of his immediate
family, though there might be a nod to a sister in La Vita Nuova (The
New Life) (circa 1292-1300).
During his youth, Dante may have attended Florence's Franciscan lower school
and studied philosophy. Brunetto Latini (circa 1220-1294), a respected scholar,
teacher, statesman, and author, encouraged Dante to study rhetoric at the
University of Bologna. In La Vita Nuova, Dante shares that he taught
himself to write verse. He emerged as one of Florence's leading poets,
collaborating and exchanging works with other notable writers such as Guido
Cavalcanti (circa 1240-1300), Lapo Gianni (circa 1270-1332), and Cino da
Pistoia (circa 1270-1336). Dante was also acquainted with musician and singer
Casella and likely knew artists Oderisi da Gubbio (circa 1240-1299) and Giotto
(circa 1267-1337).
In 1274, at the age of nine, Dante recounts meeting Bice Portinari, whom he
later referred to as Beatrice, the "bringer of blessedness." His affection for
this beautiful daughter of Folco Portinari became a significant influence in
his life. After her sudden death in 1290, Dante compiled the lyric poems he had
written for her, combined them with prose commentaries, and created La Vita
Nuova, a slender volume that marks the beginning of his magnum opus, the
Divine Comedy. The connection between the two works is Dante's love and
idealization of Beatrice, a love he elevated from physical to spiritual. In the
Divine Comedy, Beatrice guides Dante the Pilgrim, preparing him for his
ultimate encounter with God.
Dante was not only a renowned poet but also served as a soldier, politician,
and diplomat. Like many families of lesser nobility and the artisan class, the
Alighieris aligned with the Florentine political faction known as the Guelfs
(or Guelphs). Their adversaries, the Ghibellines, represented the feudal
aristocracy. Dante joined the cavalry in 1289 and participated in military
service. He fought alongside Florence and its Guelf allies against Arezzo,
achieving victory at the Battle of Campaldino in 1289, as well as at Caprona in
August of the same year.
In 1295, Dante took his first steps toward significant public roles by
joining the Guild of Physicians and Apothecaries. That year, he served on the
People's Council of the Commune of Florence and was part of the council
responsible for electing the city's Priors. By 1296, he was a member of the
Council of the Hundred, a powerful political body that dealt with Florentine
civic and financial matters. In 1300, he traveled as an ambassador to San
Gimignano and was elected to the esteemed position of Prior that same year.
As an ambassador, Dante's faction, the White Guelfs, sent him to negotiate
with the Pope at Anagni. During his absence, the White Guelfs lost power, and
their rivals, the Black Guelfs, exiled Dante for two years, accusing him of
conspiring against the Pope and Florence. Dante refused to attend his trial in
1302 or pay the fines, as he believed doing so would imply guilt. The Black
Guelfs warned him that if he returned to Florence, he would face arrest and
execution by burning. There is no indication that he ever returned to his
cherished Florence.
From 1303 onward, Dante traveled extensively throughout northern Italy,
spending the remainder of his life as a courtier and educator in exile. In
1303, he stayed with Bartolomeo della Scala in Verona and, in 1304, appeared in
Arezzo, attempting to re-enter Florence with other exiled Whites and
Ghibellines. This effort ended in failure, and Dante likely moved to Lunigiana,
where he provided diplomatic services for the Malaspina family from 1305 to
1307. Some historians speculate that he traveled to Paris in 1309 to study at
the University, though evidence is scarce. From 1312 to 1318, he lived in
Verona under the patronage of Can Grande della Scala, to whom he dedicated his
Paradise, the third volume of the Divine Comedy. While in
Verona, the Florentine authorities again sentenced Dante to death, extending
the threat to his sons as well. Between 1318 and 1321, Dante resided in Ravenna
under the protection of Guido Novella da Polenta, surrounded by eager students
and celebrated as the author of Convivio, Inferno, and
Purgatory. Dante passed away in Ravenna on September 13 or 14, 1321,
where he is interred.