Who Is Dante Alighieri

Was an Italian Florentine poet. His greatest work la Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy), is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of world literature.

He was born into the prominent Alighieri family of Florence. The son of Alighiero de Bellincione and Donna Gabriella degli Abati. Dante was born in 1265, between May 18th and June 17th. As an infant, Dante was originally christened 'Durante' in Florence's Baptistery, and the name Dante is a shortened version of that name. Dante's mother died when Dante was 5 or 6 years old, and Alighiero soon married again, to Lapa di Chiarissimo Cialuffi. This woman bore two children, Dante's brother Francesco and sister Tana (Gaetana). When he was nine years old he met Beatrice Portinari, daughter of Folco Portinari, with whom he fell in love "at first sight", and apparently without even having spoken to her. He saw her frequently after age 18, often exchanging greetings in the street, but he never knew her well.  When Dante was 12, in 1277, he was promised in marriage to Gemma di Manetto Donati, daughter of Messer Manetto Donati. Dante married Gemma Donati in 1285. Dante had several children with Gemma. Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni, Antonia, and Gabrielle Alighieri. Antonia became a nun with the name of Sister Beatrice.