New man in Roeselare, West Vlaanderen

Mention the name Dante and most people think of his Inferno or the complete poetic works that fell under the title Divine Comedy. His real name was Durante degli Alighier, he was one of the most influential poets of the Middle Ages, and his Comedy remains one of the seminal literary works in history. Born around 1265 in Italy, Dante was raised under the Guelph faction in Florence that was in support of Papal rule. It was a time of great religious and political upheaval in the region. Although he was contracted to marry another woman, Gemma di Manetto Donat, as was the custom of the day, he was secretly in love with Beatrice Portinari, an ever present influence on his life that came through in his later works such as Vita Nova and the Divine Comedy. He married Gemma, however, and had several children by her. A lot remains unknown about Dante’s early life and his education, but he did fight with the cavalry at the Battle of Campaldino and later joined one of the city guilds, a prerequisite to going into politics. Much of his growth into poetry revolved around his unrequited love for Beatrice, whom he would see in the street but not talk to. In a number of his verses she appears as a divine being who looks over him and advises on his life of spirituality.

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