Dante and Beatrice

While researching on Dante Alighieri's life, one thing that stood out was his relationship with Beatrice Portinari. Beatrice is seen as the primary inspiration for Dante's Vita Nuova and is a key character in his Paradiso as well. Sources say that she was the love of Dante's life, and clearly, Dante was very taken by her. I did some digging, and I found a really interesting fact. Dante only met Beatrice on two occasions in his life, which were separated by nine years. The first time he met her was when his father took him along to a May Day party at the Portinari househould when he was 8 (Beatrice was 7). The only other time he saw her was when they crossed each other in the streets of Florence. Dante kept Beatrice close to his heart even after she married a banker by the name of Simone dei Bardi and he married a woman by the name of Gemma Donati. Beatrice died three years after this marriage at age 24, and Dante was so heartbroken that he withdrew from society and began an intense study. He dedicated his time towards composing poetry about Beatrice and collected these poems to create Vita Nuova.

All in all, Dante's relationship with Beatrice seems pretty crazy to me. It seems likely that Beatrice didn't even know Dante that well, but Dante was completely devoted to her. However, in the Middle Ages, this kind of relationship was not uncommon. Courtly love was very formal, and typically, one person would admire another but never actually reveal their feelings or create a relationship out of respect. Regardless of their relationship, Dante immortalized Beatrice through his works.
"Dante and Beatrice" by Henry Holiday. Dante (right) is looking longingly at Beatrice (center).