Dante Alighieri (1265–1321)

Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet. His Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) is widely considered the most important poem of the Middle Ages. Dante was instrumental in establishing the literature of Italy, and his depictions of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven provided inspiration for the larger body of Western art and literature. He is described as the father of the Italian language and often referred to as il Sommo Poeta (The Supreme Poet).