Convivio: The Banquet

Dante Alighieri (c. 1265 – 14 September 1321) was an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher. His most renowned work, the Divine Comedy, originally called “Commedìa” and later christened ‘Divina’ by Giovanni Boccaccio, is considered the paramount poem of the Middle Ages and the supreme literary achievement in the Italian language.

Dante revolutionized literature by employing the vernacular language, specifically the Florentine dialect, rather than Latin. This innovation paved the way for the development of the modern standardized Italian language, and profoundly impacted the course of literary evolution in Western Europe by extending accessibility to a broader audience, which proved a pivotal moment in the history of European literature.

Dante’s vivid depictions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven continue to inspire countless works of art and literature. Dante's influence reached beyond Italy, influencing major English writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. He is often referred to as "il Sommo Poeta" (the Supreme Poet) in Italy, alongside Petrarch and Boccaccio, who are collectively known as the "tre corone" (three crowns) of Italian literature.

His life was marked by political involvement in the Guelph–Ghibelline conflict in Florence. He served militarily and held various offices, including membership in the Physicians' and Apothecaries' Guild. His political career was ended, however, when he was exiled from Florence in 1302 due to shifting political alliances. Following his exile, Dante continued composing the Divine Comedy. He spent his later years in Verona and Lucca, before finally settling in Ravenna where he died in 1321.

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