Dante Alighieri

“The path to paradise begins in hell.”

— Dante Alighieri

Life & Background:

Born in 1265 in Florence, Dante was a poet, philosopher, and exile whose masterpiece reshaped European literature. Writing in Italian rather than Latin, he fused theology, politics, and art in The Divine Comedy.

Inspirations:

Catholic theology, classical literature, politics, and personal loss (especially his muse, Beatrice).

Themes in His Work:

• Sin, salvation, and divine justice

• Love as a spiritual force

• The structure of the cosmos

• Exile and longing for truth

• The soul’s journey toward God

Notable Works:

• The Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso)

• La Vita Nuova