Dante Alighieri is a poet and Prior of Florence in 1300 whose recited poetry opened the portals of Hell on earth. Meaning to write a work “of reunion for all Christians”, he “opened a door to the deepest pits”.
| Type | Character (poet, prior) |
| Year | 1300 |
| Spanish entry | Dante Alighieri |
The cantos
The work is not a finished book but thirty sheets of tonamino with thirty cantos, one written per day; the first thirty “are about hell”. Cantos and letters are in his own handwriting, in a single original; he gives out copies one at a time, at will. The sheets are kept in Dante’s drawer, which “has some kind of magical protection”. What rises through the gates of the abyss depends on his continuing to write.
The descent and the portals
Dante went down into hell following “the shade of a master of mine”, who was “entangled with devils” and brought him out unharmed. He wrote what he saw as a poetic testament, then recited it aloud: «Cuando quise oír cómo sonaba mi poesía… puesto que mi poesía es rimada» (“When I wanted to hear how my poetry sounded… since my poetry is rhymed”). The poems acted as invocations, opening the portals through which devils entered. It is held that he was deceived; no one names by whom.
Role
He told the company there is “a way to close”, but “washed his hands” and never came himself. With someone from the Popolo Minuto he summoned the company, whose first gestas (campaign-cycles) dealt with closing a portal Dante was opening unintentionally. He advises, consults and writes.
Of the six priors he has “the most wisdom and respect… at least this quarter”. He belonged to the Main Council and still belongs to the government in some way. He may leave the Palace only with a safe-conduct, for twelve-hour spans; under the defense protocol he stays in his room for twenty-four hours. He attends the conclave of towers, in an unknown tower.
Household
He lives in the red stone castle outside Florence, near a ranch where the company stays; the same map marks Yoshi’s house. He writes in the morning and spends afternoons with his children. He speaks of “a wife and three children”, on good terms with his wife. Gemma is a daughter at home; Maneto is a son absent after a family quarrel. The black monk became his wife’s confessor “just before the children fell ill”; the records note the timing, not a cause. He “received something from the Pope, the legate” and expects a summons after a conciliatory interview; “those of Romana” are supposedly his allies.
Conflicting accounts
- A sitting Prior and man of government; or, back from exile (cause and route unrecorded), holding no public office.
- Prior of Florence (a magistracy), or “prior of the monastic order”.
- “Three fundamental books”, or one unfinished book.
- Whether the Dante seen making his journey in hell is this man, a shade or someone else.
Open questions
- What tonamino is, and what V-80 (the period when Dante was known in hell) means.
- What “the way to close” is, and how many portals he opened.
- Who the master was, and Dante’s present dealings with devils.
- Whether his children recovered.
- His appearance, age and voice are not recorded.