Francesca from Rimini

lo cominciai: "Poeta, volentieri parlerei a que' due che insieme vanno, e paion si al vento esser leggieri ... ".

I started: "Poet, would talk gladly to those two that together go, and seem to the wind to be so light... ".

There is no human mind that ignore these admirable verses and those that follow (In /., V, 76-138), and that reading them doesn't stir to pity. There is not some peer person that doesn't ask himself how, where and when the tearful play, immortalized by the poetry of Dante, happened . To these questions I will try to answer with the most greater possible exactness. We start from the protagonists. Giovanni, Malatestino, Paul, Rengarda, Ramberto, was born from Malatesta from Verucchio and from his first wife Concordia, daughter of messer Arrighino imperial vicar in Romagna and of a woman of the Parcitadis.

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Francesca from Rimini

The date of birth of Giaciotto is not known exactly. We know however that, over to be an ugly and filthy person, it was lame; they nicknamed him therefore ' Gianciotto', 'Lanciotto' and also ' the Cripple'. Its deformity was imprint of war and sign of value. Well soon its qualities of captain became famous; the cities of Romagna, some cities from the Marche territory required more times the help of his arm. Equal, and perhaps superior to the war dowries, his political virtues; in fact, even if his podesteries are not known, it is certain that it was podestà ( major) of Pesaro in 1285, in 1291, in 1294 and from 1296 to 1304, last of his life. Of him three wives are remembered: Francesca from Polenta, Zambrasina (or Ginevrasina) and Taddea; and three children males: Tino, Guido and Ramberto; three females: Concordia, Margherita and Rengarduccia. Concordia (in english Harmony) - oh irony of the name! - was born from Francesca.

Contrarily of his brother Gianciotto, Paul, Younger than him, were handsome and attractive, so much that in family they fondled with the appellative 'Pauloccio' and he passed to the history with the name of ' Paul the Beautiful'. ' Beautiful and pleasant man', the Boccaccio describes him in the Comment to the Divine Comedy; 'T idy up more to rest that to suffering', tells Benvenuto from Imola. Not with this we can say that it was a frivolous and pleasure addicted man; Was Captain of the People in Florence. And in 1269, less than twenty, he married Orabile Beatrice, daughter of Uberto count of Ghiaggiuolo, which was few fifteen-year-old. Since the first year of marriage He had from Beatrice a son, Uberto, and then a doughter Margherita.

Who was Francesca? She was born from Guido the Minore from Polenta, gentleman of Ravenna, which had a numerous progeny: three legitimate males, four natural, two females. Ostasio, the first-born, will become father of Guido Novello, the prince and poet that will give shelter to Dante; Bernardino, the third-born, will fight with Dante Alighieri to the siege of Campaldino.