The Middle Ages weren’t exactly a time when arts and culture flourished. But for every rule there’s an exception, and Dante Alighieri was definitely a bright exception. Widely considered one of the greatest poets in history, Dante produced the literary masterpiece of the medieval period: the Divine Comedy. Follow these 42 facts about the man we know as the “Supreme Poet.”
Dante Facts
1. Gemini Power
As we learn from Dante himself, he was likely born in Florence around 1265 under the sign of Gemini. In the last part of the Divine Comedy, Dante states, “As I revolved with the eternal twins, I saw revealed, from hills to river outlets, the threshing-floor that makes us so ferocious.” According to the Julian calendar, the poet could have been born on any day from May 11 to June 11.
2. The Prince or the Pauper
Some modern scholars often claim that Dante was born into a noble family, but the truth is much different. Though Dante’s father, Alighiero di Bellincione, was a dedicated supporter of the pope and had connections to several powerful Florentine noblemen, he wasn’t an aristocrat himself. Sorry to burst your bubble!
