Study in Hometown

While studying in his hometown in 1278, he was a disciple of Brunetto Latini, who makes appearance in hell (canto XV), and was a friend of the poet Cavalcanti. When Dante was 12, undertook with Gemma, daughter of Messer Manetto Donati, which then married in 1291. Marriages negotiated at such early ages were so frequent and constituted an important ceremony, requiring official acts signed before notary. Dante had several sons with Gemma. As often, some people claimed to be natural sons of a famous character, the same happened with Dante, and it is likely that Jacopo, Pietro, or Antonia were his real sons. Antonia became a nun with the name of sister Beatrice is tells us, that he was educated at home and that he studied Tuscan poetry of Guittone Bonagiunta Orbicciani of Arezzo.

At that time, the Sicilian school (Scuola poetica siciliana), a cultural group from Sicily, was captivated to Dante. His centers of interest led him to know minstrels of Provence and Latino culture. His devotion to Virgil was also evident. He also studied the Italian vernacular language, latin (the language franco from that era), Provencal, and in fact inserted some verses in this language in purgatory. It should be noted that in the age mean the fall of the Roman Empire left a dozen small States, so Sicily was away cultural and politically from Tuscany, as this was Provence: the regions did not share the same language and same culture and media were difficult. When he was 9 years old he found Beatriz Portinari, daughter of Folco Portinari, which fell in love ‘at first sight’, and apparently without even having spoken. He saw her frequently after age 18, often exchanged greetings on the street, but never came to know her well himself with efficiency proposed example for the courtly love of course. It is difficult to understand what this love actually comprised, but something extremely important for Italian culture was happening.