Dante Alighieri Background EVANS

Banishment from Florence affected Dante starting

"The Divine Comedy"

Virgil is best known for writing

*"The Aeneid"* - about Aeneas, a Trojan warrior who travels the Mediterranean looking for battles and adventures, facing beasts and gods

Key symbol for "The Inferno"

*Beatrice Portinari* - she is seen as an *angel*

What happened once the representatives from the White and Black Guelphs were in Rome?

*Black Guelphs were dismissed while several White representatives remained in Rome* at the request of the Pope

Who was victorious? The Guelphs or the Ghibellines?

*The Guelphs* wiped out the Ghibellines once anger spilled into bloodshed

How did Dante escape exile?

*left his family in Florence & sought refuge in towns called Ravenna and Santa Croce but never returned to Florence* b/c if he did, citizens who recognized him could kill him legally <-- his hatred for the Pope intensified

What did the Black Guelphs do once they returned to Florence?

*they worked w/ the military* (Pope destroyed so much of city and killed many of their enemies - including members of the Whites)

What did Florence build in Dante's honor? How did his family react?

- *built a tomb* in Dante's honor, hoping that his remains would be returned but *Dante's family never showed* to be petty

How old was Dante when he met someone who would become his influence for "The Inferno"? Who was this person? Why does Dante put him in Hell?

- 18 - Brunetto Latini - b/c he was gay <-- Dante doesn't agree but makes point that no one can avoid Hell

Dante started working for a ____________________. Why?

- pharmacist (apothecary) - b/c he could only purchase books there

How did Antonia break Dante's heart?

- she wanted to be a *nun* - had to *give up birth name* and she chose *Beatrice*

Who did Dante write several letters to and what did they regard?

- the *Holy Roman Emperor* - regarding Florence and his banishment -- *asking to execute people who have wronged him*

"The Divine Comedy" is a trilogy. What is each part called?

1. *The Inferno* (most popular) 2. *Purgatorio* (Purgatory) 3. *Paradicio* (Paradise/Heaven)

What was the difference between the Black Guelphs and the White Guelphs?

1. Black Guelphs - supported the Pope 2. White Guelphs - wanted more freedom w/ the Catholic Church *had different beliefs on the level of Papal influence on Italian society* *can tell difference between them based on flowers on lapel*

How old was Dante when his mother died?

10 years old

What age was Dante when he was set up for an arranged marriage?

12 years old

How old was Dante Alighieri when he wrote "The Inferno"?

35

Dante had _______ kids named _________________, _____________, ___________, and ______________.

4, Jacopo (son), Pietro (son), Giovanni (son), Antonia (daughter)

Dante died at around

56 years old

How soon did Dante's father remarry after his mother's death?

A few months

How might've "The Aeneid" inspired "The Inferno"?

Aeneas once comes across Hell in "The Aeneid"

Dante's father's name

Alighiero di Bellincione

How did Dante get the idea for "The Inferno"?

Around this time, Dante is feeling lost and miserable, so he *takes long walks through the woods*

Italian philosopher, scholar, notary, and statesman

Brunetto Latini

Boccaccio wrote

Decameron (basis for the Canterbury Tales)

The city where Alighieri lived most of his life

Florence

Where and when was Dante Alighieri born?

Florence, Italy in 1265

Who was Dante arranged to marry?

Gemma di Manetto Donati

What happened after the Guelphs wiped out the Ghibellines?

Guelph party split into *2 separate groups: The Black Guelphs & the White Guelphs*

Dante's father, Alighiero di Bellincione, was a member of the

Guelph political party

What did the Guelphs support and believe?

Guelphs supported the *Papacy (Pope)* and *believed the Pope should run Italy*

The Ghibellines supported the

Holy Roman Emperor

Pope during the time of Guelphs and Ghibellines

Pope Boniface VIII

Dante's remains are buried in

Ravenna

Dante Alighieri's best known work is

The Divine Comedy

What political party opposed the Guelphs?

The Ghibellines

How did Dante's mother's death affect him?

They weren't super close, but he was *much closer to her than to his father* (Italian stereotypes - mother takes care of son)

ancient Roman poet who is Dante's literary idol and shows up in "The Inferno"

Virgil

Which Guelph was Dante and did he stay in Rome or leave to go back to Florence?

White Guelph and stayed in Rome

What kind of family did Gemma di Manetto Donati come from?

a very powerful and financially secure family

Dante didn't marry Gemma until

after Beatrice died <-- probably from The Plague

Florence is a very ___________ city.

artistic

Why didn't Dante want to marry Gemma?

at *age 9*, he fell in love w/ *Beatrice Portinari*

Why did Florence regret their decision to banish Dante Alighieri?

b/c he's famous, he could've been a tourist attraction

What happened to the members of the White Guelphs that were spared?

had assets seized by Black Guelphs & were sent to exile - including Dante

How did Dante being home schooled impact him?

he spent a lot of time alone, which made him read a lot and more independent

Why did his father remarry so quickly after Dante's mother's death?

he thought he'd be helping Dante by having another woman be there to take care of him

What kind of education did Dante receive?

he was home schooled

Dante came from a family of

high social status

Dante Alighieri's work is so revered in Italy that he is known as

il Poeta - "the poet"

Who did Dante write about: Gemma or Beatrice?

never wrote about Gemma, but wrote many sonnets about Beatrice

What did Pope Boniface VIII suggest when he met with the Black and White Guelphs?

suggested *military remain in city of Florence* while representatives from White and Black Guelphs traveled to *Rome*

What are Boccaccio, Petrarch, and Alighieri all considered to be and why?

the *"Three Fountains"* of Italian literature b/c they *spout words*

Petrarch invented

the Italian sonnet

As Dante grew older, he became more involved with

the feud brewing between Guelphs and Ghibellines

Dante says he wrote "The Inferno" midway through

the journey of his life

Contrapasso refers to

the punishment of souls or divine retribution (punishment by God) in Dante's Inferno, "by a process either resembling or contrasting with the sin itself." A similar process, though a penitential one, occurs in the Purgatorio.

Once the leaders of Florence changed their opinion about the White Guelphs, what did they say they must do in order to return?

they must pay a huge fine and apologize in the center of Florence

What would happen if a White Guelph returned without Florence's approval?

you'd be executed <-- thrown into the river