Beatrice and Dante Beatrice Portinari

according dante, first met beatrice when father took him portinari house may day party. @ time, beatrice 8 years old, year younger dante. dante instantly taken , remained throughout life though married man, banker simone dei bardi, in 1287. beatrice died 3 years after marriage in june 1290 @ age of 24. dante continued hold abiding love , respect woman after death, after married gemma donati in 1285 , had children. after beatrice s death, dante withdrew intense study , began composing poems dedicated memory. collection of these poems, along others had written in journal in awe of beatrice, became la vita nuova.

dante , beatrice, henry holiday. dante looks longingly @ beatrice (in center) passing friend lady vanna (red) along arno river

according autobiographic la vita nuova, beatrice , dante met twice during lives. less credible numerology behind these encounters, marking out dante s life in periods of 9 years. amount of time falls in line dante s repeated use of number 3 or multiples of, derived holy trinity. more encounters beatrice dante writes of 2 fulfill poetic vision, , beatrice, petrarch s laura, seem blur line between actual love interest , means employed poet in creations.

following first meeting, dante enthralled beatrice later wrote in la vita nuova: ecce deus fortior me, qui veniens dominabitur michi ( behold, deity stronger i; coming, shall rule on me ). indeed, dante frequented parts of florence, home city, thought might catch glimpse of her. did so, made great efforts ensure thoughts of beatrice remained private, writing poetry lady, use screen truth .

dante s courtly love beatrice continued 9 years, before pair met again. meeting occurred in street of florence, walked along dressed in white , accompanied 2 older women. turned , greeted him, salutation filling him such joy retreated room think her. in doing so, fell asleep, , had dream become subject of first sonnet in la vita nuova.

beatrice used pray @ santa margherita de cerchi interred

in dream, mighty figure appeared before him, , spoke him. although not make out figure said, managed hear ego dominus tuus , means lord . in figure s arms beatrice, sleeping , covered crimson cloth. figure woke beatrice, , made eat dante s burning heart. english translation of event, described in la vita nuova, appears below:

and betaking me loneliness of mine own room, fell thinking of courteous lady, thinking of whom overtaken pleasant slumber, wherein marvelous vision presented me: there appeared in room mist of colour of fire, within discerned figure of lord of terrible aspect such should gaze upon him, seemed there-withal rejoice inwardly marvel see. speaking said many things, among understand few; , of these, this: thy lord . in arms seemed me person sleeping, covered crimson cloth; upon whom looking attentively, knew lady of salutation, had deigned day before salute me. , held held in hand thing burning in flames, , said me behold thy heart . when had remained me little while, thought set himself awaken slept; after made eat thing flamed in hand; , ate 1 fearing.

this last encounter between pair, since beatrice died 8 years later @ age of twenty-four in 1290.

tomb of beatrice in santa margherita de cerchi.

the manner in dante chose express love beatrice agreed middle ages concept of courtly love. courtly love formal; secret, unrequited , highly respectful form of admiration person. yet still not entirely clear caused dante fall in love beatrice. since knew little of real beatrice, , had no great insight character, perhaps unusual did. did, , there clues in works why:

she has ineffable courtesy, beatitude, destroyer of vices , queen of virtue, salvation.

dante saw beatrice saviour, 1 removed evil intentions him. perhaps idea of being force fell in love with, force believed made him better person. viable, since not seem concerned appearance—at least not in writings. once describes complexion, , emerald eyes.

influence on dante s work

beatrice appears virgil @ start of inferno, in illustration gustave doré.

beatrice s influence far simple inspiration. appeared character in 2 greatest works—la vita nuova , divine comedy.

she first appeared in la vita nuova, dante wrote in 1293. book filled poems beatrice, , entirely complimentary her; described gentilissima , benedetta (meaning kind , blessed respectively).

having referred beatrice salvation, idea further touched upon in divine comedy, appears guide through heaven , caused trip through afterlife might see awaits him. here described being maternal, radiant , comforting .

although converse in personal terms, no more imagination of dante. since relationship had no contact, beatrice of works shaped entirely own mind. once called la gloriosa donna della mia mente , means glorious lady of mind .