1265-1321
Poet And Politician

Political Background. Dante Alighieri, the most important poet of the Middle Ages, was born in Florence in May or June of 1265. His family belonged to the party known as the Guelfs (supporters of the Pope), who were opposed to the Ghibellines (supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor). The bitter feud between the two groups often erupted in open combat, and Dante himself is known to have fought in a battle against the Ghibellines in 1289. In 1266, shortly after Dante's birth, Charles of Anjou had overthrown imperial power in Italy, and by 1269 Florence had become a Guelf city. Political tensions centering around Dante's Florence were to play a major role in the poet's life, for in addition to writing Dante served as an active figure in politics. The conflict between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines, and later between rival factions within the Guelfs, were...