Beatrice Portinari

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Dante and Beatrice, by Henry Holiday

Beatrice Portinari (1266–1290), born in Florence, Italy, is the principal inspiration for Dante Alighieri's Vita Nova. She also appears as his guide in "La Divina Commedia" (The Divine Comedy) in the last book, "Paradiso"(Paradise) and in the second half of "Purgatorio" (Purgatory). Beatrice must take over as guide from the Latin poet Virgil because Virgil was born a pagan and cannot enter Paradise.

Her birth name is Bice Portinari, the daughter of Folco Portinari. Dante met her when his father took him to the Portinari house for a May-Day party. Dante was instantly smitten with her and remained so throughout her life even though she married a banker, Simone dei Bardi, in 1287. She died three years later in June of 1290 at the age of 24. But Dante continued to hold an abiding love and respect for the woman after her death, even though Dante himself married Gemma Donati in 1285 and had his own children. After Beatrice's death, Dante withdrew into intense study and began composing poems dedicated to her memory. The collection of these new-found poems along with others he had previously written in his journal in awe of Beatrice became La Vita Nuova.

Beatrice Portinari has been immortalized not only in Dante's poems but in paintings by Pre-Raphaelite masters and poets.

Relationship with Dante

Beatrice's influence on Dante's work belies the fact that they only met twice during her life. Dante first met Beatrice in Florence, his home city, when he was nine years old and she was eight, around 1274. She was dressed in a soft crimson cloth, and wore a girdle about her waist. Dante instantly fell in love with her, thinking of her as angelic with divine and noble qualities.

Following their first meeting, Dante was so enthralled by Beatrice that he later wrote in La Vita Nuova: Ecce Deus fortior me, qui veniens dominabitur mihi ("Behold, a deity stronger than I; who coming, shall rule over me.") Indeed, she did and Dante frequented parts of Florence, his home city, where he thought he might catch even a glimpse of her. As he did so, he made great efforts to ensure his thoughts of Beatrice remained private, even writing poetry for another lady, so as to use her as a "screen for the truth".

Dante's courtly love for Beatrice continued for nine years, before the pair finally met again. This meeting occurred in a street of Florence, which she walked along dressed in white and flanked by two older women. She turned and greeted him. Her greeting filled him with such joy that he retreated to his room, to think about her. In doing so, he fell asleep, and had a dream which would become the subject of the first sonnet in La Vita Nuova.

In this dream, a mighty figure appeared before him, and spoke to him. Although he could not make out all the figure said, he managed to hear "Ego dominus tuus", which means "I am your Lord." In the figure's arms was Beatrice, sleeping and covered by a crimson cloth. The figure awoke Beatrice, and made her eat Dante's burning heart. An English translation of this event, as described in La Vita Nuova, appears below:

...And betaking me to the loneliness of mine own room, I fell to thinking of this most courteous lady, thinking of whom I was overtaken by a pleasant slumber, wherein a marvellous vision was presented to me: for there appeared to be in my room a mist of the colour of fire, within the which I discerned the figure of a Lord of terrible aspect to such as should gaze upon him, but who seemed there-withal to rejoice inwardly that it was a marvel to see. Speaking he said many things, among the which I could understand but few; and of these, this: "I am thy Lord." In his arms it seemed to me that a person was sleeping, covered only with a crimson cloth; upon whom looking very attentively, I knew that it was the Lady of the Salutation, who had deigned the day before to salute me. And he who held her held also in his hand a thing that was burning in flames, and he said to me, "Behold thy heart." But when he had remained with me a little while, I thought that he set himself to awaken her that slept; after the which he made her to eat that thing which flamed in his hand; and she ate as one fearing.

This was the last encounter between the pair, since Beatrice died eight years later at the young age of twenty-four in 1290.

Dante's love for Beatrice

The manner in which Dante chose to express his love for Beatrice often agreed with the Middle Ages concept of courtly love. Courtly love was a secret, unrequited and highly respectful form of admiration for another person.

Yet it is still not entirely clear what caused Dante to fall in love with Beatrice. Seeing as how he knew very little of the real Beatrice, and that he had no great insight to her character, it is perhaps unusual that he fell in love with her. But he did, and there are clues in his works as to why he did:

"She has ineffable courtesy, is my beautitude, the destroyer of all vices and the queen of virtue, salvation."

Dante saw Beatrice as a saviour, one who removed all evil intentions from him. It is perhaps this idea of her being a force for good that he fell in love with, a force which he believed made him a better person. This is certainly viable, since he does not seem concerned with her appearance - at least not in his writings. He only once describes her complexion, and her "emerald" eyes. Although Beatrice was most likely a very beautiful lady, her beauty is ultimately not what Dante was attracted to when he met her.

He wrote of her, following her death:

"The love between them was wholly spiritual; after her death Dante realised she was more alive than ever."

Beatrice's influence on Dante's work

Beatrice's influence was far from simple inspiration, she appeared as a character in his two greatest works - La Vita Nuova and La Divina Commedia.

She first appeared in La Vita Nuova, which Dante wrote in about 1293. The book was filled with poems about Beatrice, and entirely complimentary to her; she was described as "gentilissima" and "benedetta" (meaning gracious and blessed respectively).

Having already referred to Beatrice as his salvation, this idea is further touched upon in La Divina Commedia, where she appears as a guide through heaven. Here she is described as being "maternal, radiant and comforting."

Although they converse in personal terms, this is no more than the imagination of Dante. Since their relationship had no contact, the Beatrice of his works was shaped entirely by his own mind. He once called her "La gloriosa donna della mia mente", which means "the glorious lady of my mind".

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