Arts & Literature
Interesting Facts about Dante Alighieri
by Richard Marrison
Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet born in Florence, Italy, was known for establishing Italian literature. He wrote Divine Comedy, considered a pivotal literary work in Italy, and remains one of the crucial poems of the Middle Ages.
Poetry was usually written in Latin during his time when he introduced the Florentine Language with works including The New Life and Divine Comedy making it feasible for educated readers.
These poetries set a standard for the Italian language, followed by great Italian writers, including Petrarch and Boccaccio.
Dante Alighieri is often referred to as the Supreme Poet as his works influenced many British writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, and Alfred Tennyson.
Most of his poems were dedicated to his beloved, Beatrice, portrayed as semi-divine for protecting and guiding him on his journey. He coined the term ‘dolce stil novo,’ translating to the sweet new style, referring to his unique way of expression.
Some of the most intriguing facts about Dante Alighieri are listed below.
Statue of the poet Dante Alighieri at the Piazza Dante in Naples, Italy sculpted by Tito Angelini in the 19th century.
The 9 circles of hell and what they are made of
Dante Alighieri wrote Divine Comedy in the early thirteen-hundreds, with sections called Inferno. Here, he travels through the 9 circles of hell to save his beloved- Beatrice. This was an enlightening journey for him, inspired by the souls of the Roman poet Virgil.
Each circle represents different degrees and evilness of different sins, and in his journey, he discovers the sins of various historical figures, and the circles get smaller as they descend.
The first circle is the Limbo, where righteous people wait for the last judgment without fear of punishment. The second circle is a sinner of lust and whipped by extreme hurricanes. It is followed by the third circle full of sinners of gluttony, where they are showered by cold rain as they drag themselves through feces.
The fourth circle consists of miserly and reckless sinners rolling and screaming with loads of stones. The fifth circle comprises Stygian Swamp, where the wrathful sinners teach each other apart.
The sixth circle consists of the heretics lying in flaming graves, followed by the seventh circle full of violent people. The eighth circle is full of deceivers, and finally, the ninth circle is full of traitors where Judas, Brutus, and Cassius, the three greatest traitors, are crushed in one of the three mouths of Lucifer.
In this manner, all the people who committed the nine sins in their life were assigned to their respective circles of hell, where they faced their consequent punishments. The severity of the punishment increased with the severity of their sins.
Dante is known as the Father of the Italian Language
There were various languages spoken in Italy; however, Latin was popular as the Language of culture and literature in the fourteenth century. Italians did not have a common language, and people from different regions spoke different dialects. This was why historians talked about the vernacular languages in Italy and the Italian Language.
On the other hand, Dante used his native language, the Florentine vernacular, to write his poetry instead of writing in traditional Latin. His impeccable writing skills didn’t take long for the Language and his work to stand out from the rest. He not only made the dialect prestigious but also laid the groundwork for uniting the national Language of Italy.
In 1861, after the Kingdom of Italy was established, Florentine was the official language throughout the country; hence, Dante Alighieri was named the father of the Italian Language.
Dante describes the afterlife in his work Divine Comedy
In Dante’s Divine Comedy, he refers to Hell as Inferno, the mountain of Purgatory as Purgatorio, and Paradise as Paradisio. Here, he travels through hell to Lucifer, making his way to the mountain of purgatory and eventually to paradise.
He describes hell as an abyss in the center of the earth located below Jerusalem and is ruled by Lucifer- the fallen age from heaven.
The mountain of Purgatory on the opposite end of the earth is called a reflection of Hell and leads to paradise. Heaven is said to have a God named Empire and is formed by nine heavens.
Hell and purgatory are both filled with sinners; however, the main difference is that the sinners in hell were not regretful of their sins while the ones in the purgatory had asked for forgiveness. The sinner in hell didn’t stand a chance of salvation up the top of the mountain of the purgatory is compared to a pilgrimage that eventually leads to heaven.
Dante was not a Noble by birth
Dante Alighieri was born in a family of lesser nobility and was not an aristocrat.
Despite Dante’s claim of being a descendant of Romans, the only ancestor he could name was Cacciaguida degli Elisei of 1100. Dante was born in Florence, Italy, to his father, Alighiero di Bellincione.
His father served in the battle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and walked away without any punishments after they lost, suggesting his prestige and status.
The more reasonable thought was that his father was a strong supporter of the pope, giving him connections to the powerful noblemen of Florence.
Dante served in the war
Along with being a great writer and a poet, Dante Alighieri also contributed to the Roman war. In 1289, a war broke out between the Guelphs and Ghibellines.
Even with the controversy of whether or not he was a Roman descendant, Dante Alighieri fought bravely in the war as a combatant on the Guelph side. He served as a horseman in the Battle of Campaldino.
Conclusion
During his lifetime, Dante Alighieri contributed significantly to the prosperity of Italian literature. His works, such as Divine Comedy and Nine Circles of Hell, changed the course of literature in Italy and were a standard for poetry all over the globe.
When writing literature in Roman Language was popular, Dante used his native Language- Florentine- to work on his craft. As his work became well known and respected out of Italy, the Language Florentine started rising and gaining popularity.
When the Kingdom of Italy was established, this Language was set to be the national language of Italy, giving him the title Father of Italian Language.
Despite Dante’s claims, he was not a nobleman and was not a descendant of the Roman ancients. His father, however, was a strong supporter of the pope, which gave them access to influential people.
Not being a Roman descendant, Dante still did not stop him from serving the war in the Battle of Campaldino, where he fought as a horseman on Guelph’s side.
About the Author
Richard Marrison is from Budapest, Hungary. He has an MBA in Cultural Anthropology and loves history. His love and passion for history got him to indulge in creating content on history-related topics.
