1265-1321 Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher born in Florence in 1265 who is best known for his epic poem The Divine Comedy, which explores the journey of the soul through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Forced into exile in 1302 due to his political activities and refusal to pay a fine, he spent his remaining years wandering before settling in Ravenna, where he completed The Divine Comedy shortly before his death in 1321. His works, written in Italian rather than the customary Latin, established him as a foundational figure in European literature.