
author
1265–1321
Best known for The Divine Comedy, he turned exile, politics, and deep spiritual questions into one of the most influential poems ever written. His work helped shape the Italian language and still feels vivid centuries later.

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by R. W. (Richard William) Church, Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Elizabeth Harrison, Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri

by Dante Alighieri
Born in Florence around 1265, this Italian poet and thinker lived during a time of fierce political conflict. He took part in public life in his city, but after shifting power struggles led to his banishment, he spent the rest of his life in exile.
That exile became central to his writing. He is most famous for The Divine Comedy, the epic journey through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso that later generations came to see as a masterpiece of world literature. He also wrote La Vita Nuova, a blend of poetry and prose centered on his idealized love for Beatrice, and other works on language, philosophy, and politics.
Dante died in Ravenna in 1321, but his influence only grew after his death. He is often celebrated not just as a great poet, but as a writer who helped give literary Italian its enduring voice.