Today is May 7th, 2003. Today I'm on earth. Tomorrow I may be in heaven. Tomorrow I may be in hell. But today I don't know for sure, nor do I really care. Many share my opinion. What we do know though, that if today is our last day on earth, tomorrow will be an experience that none of us have experienced during life. We can all paint pictures in our mind about the "Pearly Gates" as St. Peter decides whether or not we have been good enough to get into heaven. Those of us who have been sinful enough can even sit back and picture the fall to hell, and the pain and misery that comes with it. That idea was not far fetched for Dante Alighieri. While society was focused on pleasing god and the church, and getting into heaven, Dante was drawing the ultimate picture of hell, or rather the ultimate book of hell.
Gustave Doré's illustration to Dante's Inferno. P...
English: Dante Alighieri's portrait by Sandro Bott...
Domenico di Michelino, La Divina Commedia di Dante...Born in Florence Italy in 1265 to Alighieri II, Dante Alighieri was introduced to life as an impoverished nobleman, being raised by his father, as his mother died when he was an infant. Dante was born around the time when the Imperial Power of Italy was broken by the victory of the church and Guelf Party defeating their opponents, the Ghibellines. The conflict however, would return during Dante's life, and also prove to be very significant. When he was twelve years old, Dante's father, and the parents of Gemma Donati arranged for the two preteens to be married in the future. Along with Gemma's hand in marriage, the Alighieris would also be receiving a dowry, which was most probably a sum of money seeing that the Donati family was wealthy. Unfortunately, Gemma would not be Dante's first love. That title would belong...