Dante Alighieri, often simply referred to as Dante, was an Italian poet during the Late Middle Ages. He is best known for his epic poem 'The Divine Comedy', which is widely considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. Dantes vision was to create a work that would encompass the totality of human knowledge and experience, from the depths of despair in Hell to the heights of divine love in Heaven. He also aimed to elevate Italian vernacular to the level of Latin as a literary language. His vision was of a moral universe where justice is a natural consequence of human action and where the love of God guides all creation towards a final unity.

Born in Florence, Italy, sometime between May 21 and June 20, 1265, Dante Alighieri would grow up to become one of the most revered poets in the Western literary tradition. Although little is known about his early life, it is believed that he was educated at home and studied Tuscan poetry, which started to flourish with the works of poets such as Guittone dArezzo and Guido Guinizelli. His family was involved in the complex Florentine political scene, and even after his death, Dante continued to be a notable figure in Florence. He fell in love with a woman named Beatrice whom he saw only twice in his life but she was the main inspiration for his greatest works. Dante married Gemma Donati and had four children. However, his true love was always Beatrice, who also served as his muse and the ideal woman in most of his poetry. Dantes life took a drastic turn in 1301 when he was exiled from Florence due to political feuds. This period of exile deeply influenced his work, which often reflected themes of despair, exile, and moral rectitude. Dante died on September 13, 1321, but his work continues to be celebrated as a cornerstone of Italian literature and a profound influence on countless artists and writers.

During his lifetime, Dante did not receive many awards or recognitions, mainly because such formal acknowledgements did not exist during his time. However, his significance and impact on literature and culture are undeniable. His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, has been widely studied and translated into multiple languages. It has served as a source of inspiration for numerous artists, writers, and filmmakers over the centuries. Many scholars consider Dante as the Father of the Italian language, as he was one of the first to write a significant literary piece, The Divine Comedy, in the vernacular language, which was Italian, instead of Latin. Today, Dante is revered as one of the greatest poets of all time. His works are still widely read and his influence on literature is incalculable. His home city of Florence finally revoked his sentence of exile in 2008, nearly 700 years after his death.