Dante Alighieri, the poet who created hell

Today, when we think of hell, we think of Dante.

Italian poet, politician, and philosopher is among the most studied writers worldwide. His magnum opus, The Divine Comedy, is one of the fundamental works of the transition from medieval to Renaissance thought and one of the summits of universal literature.

Dante was also a committed politician and a member of the political party of the White Guelf. When the political party of the Black Guelf (radical supporters of the Pope and the church) came to power, Dante was sentenced to perpetual exile under the death penalty if he ever set foot in Florence again.

However, the exile was not fruitless. During this time, the verses of the Divine Comedy come to light, recounting Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, guided by the Roman poet Virgil.

Dante is nicknamed “the Supreme Poet” (in Italian, “il Sommo Poeta”), and he is also considered the “father of the Italian language.”