Dante Alighieri Commemorative Plaque, Piazza Sordello, Mantua

Dante (Durante) di Alighiero degli Alighieri born in Florence, between 14 May and 13 June 1265 was an Italian poet, writer, moral philosopher and, briefly, politician. His main work is considered to be La divina commedia (translation The Divine Comedy). It is a poem in three parts about a journey through the afterlife, from Hell (Inferno), through Purgatory (Purgatorio) to Paradise (Paradiso) and is considered a high point of world literature.

The Museum of the House of Dante Alighieri, or the House of Dante, is a medieval building located in one of the oldest parts of the historic centre of the city, on the street of Santa Margherita. This building, although not actually the house in which he was born, is located in the area between the church of Saint Martino and Piazza dei Donati, where documents show that it was where the Alighieri family lived at the time, in the 13th century, and, although it had to be restored from a somewhat dilapidated state at the beginning of the 20th century, when the museum was first planned, it has largely retained its appearance from Dante's lifetime. It was therefore chosen as the best place to house a museum dedicated to the father of the Italian language, and is today one of the most important literary museums in the city. Spread over three floors, the museum presents various important documents and works from Dante's life, through the story of the author and his artistic creations. The first floor provides some context for Florence at the time of Dante’s birth, discussing his early life and experiences including his baptism, youth, appointment as city priest, and his involvement in political movements and military struggles with a model of the Battle of Campaldino and reproductions of armories that further illustrate this part of his life and career and bring it to life for visitors. The second floor focuses on Dante’s exile from Florence in 1301 and his time in various parts of Italy such as Forlì, Verona, and Bologna through to his final years in Ravenna until his death in 1321. The third floor looks at Dante’s iconography and legacy, with artwork inspired by his writings including reproductions of works by Giotto, Beato Angelico, Andrea del Castagno, Ghirlandaio, Luca Signorelli, Raphael, and Michelangelo, among others. The museum features a variety of interesting original items and reproductions, including a battlefield reenactment, documents, reproductions of famous works of art, reproductions of clothing and uniforms from Dante's time, coins from this period, temporary thematic exhibitions based on Dante and his influence on other artists and writers, and more.

Dante Alighieri's tombstone