This book recounts the story of the life of Dante Alghieri, from his childhood to his later days. Dante is universally known as the author of the greatest European poem of all time, the Divine Comedy, which has inspired generations of artists after him. However, very few are aware of the circumstances that led the Florentine to the creation of his masterpiece. Based on the information Dante himself scattered in his work, and on hypothesis on obscure parts of his life, this book is addressed to a large public as an entertaining introduction to a fascinating period of history such as fourteenth century Italy, filtered through the eyes of the greatest poet of those days. Dante's life is itself a masterpiece, so intricate were the political events that influenced it and so adventurous and intriguing are his personal relationships.