One of the greatest names in Italian literature, Dante Alighieri, or by his full name Durante degli Alighieri, was a poet, language theorist, moral philosopher, and politician.
Alighieri, who lived between 1265 and 1321, is one of the three great geniuses of Western European literature, along with William Shakespeare and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It is also considered one of the Three Crowns of Florence, along with Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio.
Family
There are different sources of information about the childhood and family of Dante Alighieri, who is one of the important figures for Italy as well as for modern Europe.
Dante Alighieri, who lost his mother at a young age, did not include his father II Alighiero in his works. The reason for this is that his father had a bad reputation in some sources; others show Dante blaming his father for the loss of his family's dignity.
However, Dante often mentioned his grandfather, Cacciaguida, who was knighted, and stated that his roots go back to Rome.
Education
Alighieri, whose education we do not have clear information about, developed himself; It is known that he was interested in astronomy, art, and philosophy and did not miss the meetings organized by the important names of the period.
His First and Everlasting Love Beatrice & His Marriage
Dante Alighieri, in his work Vita Nuova (New Life), tells that he fell in love with Beatrice, the daughter of one of the Florentine knights, his neighbor when he was only 9 years old. Years later, he saw Beatrice again on the street but never confessed his love to her.
After Beatrice's marriage, he continued to refer to her in his works as Madonna, which was given to married women. When Beatrice died in 1290, Dante suffered great pain, which was reflected in his works.
Gemma
Alighieri got engaged with Gemma di Manetto Donati at the age of 12, as a result of the agreement of the families, and got married in 1291.
Dante Alighieri, who has a total of 5 children from this marriage, named his little girl Beatrice. According to some sources, Alighieri had only one daughter, Antonia, who took the name Beatrice after she became a nun.
The fact that Dante does not mention his marriage or Gemma in his works has been interpreted by many as being unhappy in his marriage.
Style Nuovo (New Style)
Dante wrote poems in the style of Stil Nuovo, which argued that love, which was a new trend at that time, was the only goal to be directed in poetry and that poetry made the person noble.
In the focus of his first work, Yeni Hayat, published in 1295; There are Dante, Love and Beatrice. The work is also accepted as the first autobiographical work in the history of literature.
Political Career
During Dante's lifetime, there were two major parties in Florence, the Ghibellinos, supported by the emperor, and the Guelphs, supported by the Pope. The Guelphs were divided into Whites and Blacks. The whites were headed by the Cerchi family and supported by the wealthy bourgeois class. The blacks were headed by the Donati family, and next to the group was the popular class, such as artisans and workers.
When Dante was in his 20s, he took part in the Battle of Campaldino with the Guelfo knights. Although his wife's family was Black, he was a supporter of the Whites.
Dante Alighieri, who wanted to participate actively in politics, enrolled in the Lodge of Physicians and Pharmacists, which at that time also accepted those interested in science and philosophy.
At the same time, the Pope supported the Blacks and intervened in the internal affairs of the city, disturbing many groups, especially the Whites.
Deportation Decision
In 1300, the administration was cleared of the Ghibellinos and the Whites began their reform movement. Dante was elected to the six-member council that presided over the Florentine Government for a two-month term. He went to Rome with the Council to meet with the Pope. While the Council was in Rome, Charles de Valois, supported by the Pope and brother of the King of France, entered Florence and took the Blacks with him and confiscated the property of the Whites; exiled most of them, some of whom were sentenced to death or driven out of the city.
Dante was also fined on false charges and exiled from Florence for two years. In addition, he would no longer be employed in government jobs. Learning of these accusations and decisions on the way, Dante did not return to the city because he did not accept the accusations. This attitude Dante angered the authorities, and about two months later, if he was captured by the Florentine soldiers, it was decided that he would be executed.
Post-Exile
Dante, King of Luxembourg VII, began to invade Italy in 1311. He wrote letters to Henry and invited him to declare war on Florence. Although the king recalled most of the exiled Whites, he did not summon Dante—probably because of his letters. After the death of the king in 1313, the Whites' hope of returning to Florence was completely destroyed.
Death
Although he made short trips after his exile, Dante Alighieri, who spent most of his life in Ravenna, died here in 1321.
Although malaria is shown as the cause of death in some sources, it is not known for certain.
His tomb is in the Basilica of Saint Francis in Ravenna.
Works
Dante, who never set foot in the city where he was born again, wrote both philosophical and literary works during his exile years.
Dante's works are generally not ordered chronologically, but classified according to the language he wrote.
Latin Works
De vulgari eloquentia (colloquial rhetoric)
Monarchia (Monarchy)
Epistulae (Letters)
Eclogae (Eclogae)
Quaestio de aqua et terra (Water and Soil Problem)
Italian Works
Vita Nuova (New Life)
Rime (Poems)
Convivio (Feast)
Il Fiore (Flower)
La Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy): Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), Paradiso (Heaven)
Divine Comedy
Dante wrote The Divine Comedy, one of the most valuable works of world literature, between 1307 and 1317.
The Divine Comedy, which is considered one of the first great products of Christian teaching and humanism, has inspired many painters, poets, and writers since its publication.
The Divine Comedy is also considered the foundation of modern Italian.
The work, which is about a journey to the hereafter, consists of three volumes: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.