Dante Alighieri

• Number of Books : 1

Biography : Born in the republic of Itali in 1265, Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri or Dante’s exact date of birth is unknown. His father was Alighiero or Alighiero di Bellincione a white Guelph, so this indicates that Dante’s family enjoyed aristocratic status. He had a half-brother Francesco and half-sister Tana (Gaetana). When he was 12 he was promised to marry Gemma di Manetto Donati, member of the powerful Donati family. However, when he was only 9, he fell in love with Beatrice Portinari, whose reflection is seen in many of his poems. He studied Tuscan poetry and admired the compositions of the Bolognese poet Guido Guinizelli. His fascination brought him to notice the Provençal poetry of the bards, such as Arnaut Daniel, and the Latin writers of classical ancient times, including Cicero, Ovid and specifically Virgil. he died in Exile on September 1321, Ravenna, Italy.