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Dante is born in Florence. He is the son of Alighiero II, son of Bellincione, and of Alighiero’s first wife Bella. In Paradiso XXII.109-17, Dante will tell us that his date of birth falls in the sign of Gemini. According to the Julian calendar system that is in standard use until the 16th century, in the year 1265 the sun is in Gemini from May 14 – June 13.
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Baptized in the Baptistery of San Giovanni
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Dante’s mother dies, plausibly in the earlier half of the decade, and his father later remarries.
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According to Vita Nuova II.1, Dante meets and falls in love with Beatrice, daughter of Folco Portinari, at the age of nine.
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February 9: Dante’s marriage to Gemma Donati is contracted and celebrated with an instrumentum dotis (dowry contract) of 200 lire di fiorini piccioli. Both spouses are unusually young. It is unclear when their marriage is consummated. The two will eventually have four children: Jacopo, Pietro, Antonia, and Giovanni.
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Dante’s marriage ceremony to Gemma Donati probably takes place in this period. Together they will have four children: Jacopo, Pietro, Antonia, and Giovanni.
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Dante composes the sonnet A ciascun’alma presa e gentil core, which eventually becomes the first poem of the Vita Nuova. In the Vita Nuova Dante will indicate that he wrote the sonnet at the age of eighteen, i.e. in 1283 (VN III.1-9). In subsequent years he writes the other poems that will eventually be included in the prose frame of the Vita Nuova, written 1292-1293.
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June 11: Dante takes part in the Battle of Campaldino against the Aretines.
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August 16: Dante participates in the siege of the fortress of Caprona against the Pisans.
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June 8: Beatrice Portinari dies
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According to Convivio II.12.7, Dante begins thirty months of study at “le scuole de’ religiosi”: with Franciscans at Santa Croce and Dominicans at Santa Maria Novella.
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Dante writes the Vita Nuova, composing the prose frame into which he inserts poems written over the preceding decade.