Dante Alighieri was born in 1265 in Florence, Italy into a family involved in politics. He fell in love with Beatrice Portinari at a young age and she heavily influenced his writings, though he was arranged to marry someone else. In his youth he studied poetry, painting, music and Latin literature. He was later exiled from Florence due to his involvement in conflicts between political factions and spent his later life wandering Italy, during which time he began work on his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. The Divine Comedy describes Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven and had tremendous influence as one of the greatest works of literature. Dante died in 1321 at the age of 56.

1. Dante Alighieri
Damian Hupka

2. Beginning
• Born in 1265 into a family of politics
• Mother died soon after birth

3. Early Life
• When he was 12 he was arranged to marry Gemma di Manetto Donati;
however, he had already fallen in love with Beatrice Portinari, who was
constantly referenced to in his writings.

4. Studies
• During Dante’s youth he studied Tuscan poetry, painting and music. Learned
both of Occitan poetry and of classic antiquity or Latin Poetry. He met
numerous extremely influential poets during his studies.
• Slightly focused on Philosophy, pharmaceuticals, and local public affairs
throughout his 20s-30s.

5. Guelph-Ghilbeline Conflict
• A political division of loyalty between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Papacy.
• Fought alongside the Guelphs, in order to bring a reformation of the Florentine Constitution.
• After the defeat of the Ghilbeline, the Guelphs split into two factions, white and black. Initially, the Blacks
were to be exiled from Rome, but due to a military occupation of Florence under the demand of Pope
Boniface VIII, during this time the Black Guelphs destroyed much of Florence. Eventually Dante was
permanently exiled from Flornece
• Although he was driven out of Florence, this was the beginning of his greatly influential artistic works.

6. Exile
• While in exile Dante wandered Italy for several years, eventually beginning
his outline to La Commedia, leading to the Divine Comedy.
• The military officer controlling Florence in 1315, granted amnesty to
Florentines in exile; however, they were required to pay a large fine and do
public penance.
• Dante refused, thus remaining in Exile
• Died six years later on September 13, 1321 of Malaria Fever.

7. Divine Comedy
• A description of human life through the Christian afterlife, written primarily
to guide society to the path of righteousness.
• Written in first person.
• Follows Dante through Hell, Purgatory, and eventually Heaven.

8. Other Works
• Convivio
• Le Rime
• La Vita Nuova
• De Vulgari Eloquentia

9. Overall Influence
• Dante was considered to be one of the greatest artists of all time, primarily
due to how influential the Divine Comedy was, and how it created terza
Rima or tercets woven into a rhyme scheme.
• “Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them, there is no third.”

10. Sources:
• Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.biography.com/people/dante-9265912>.
• Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2015.
<http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/dante-alighieri>.