In this vibrant essay, the prestigious Italian medievalist Alessandro Barbero immerses us in Dante's life in light of the society and culture of his time. Thanks to extensive documentation and an analysis of the poet's involvement in the government of Florence, Barbero reconstructs circumstances such as the social and economic status of the Alighieri family, the significance of the poet's marriage, and the nature of his political commitment. This extraordinary biography reveals to us, more than just a writer locked away in his study, an ambitious man determined to live intensely the tumultuous and eventful life of medieval city-states, who would become recognized as one of the greatest geniuses of world literature.