What Inspired the Divine Comedy?

Dante, Beatrice, and the road to Heaven

Dante’s The Divine Comedy has one of the greatest origin stories in literary history. The poem is celebrated today for its masterful depictions of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory and their meditations on sin, grace and the human soul, but the motivation to capture this beauty came from the unlikeliest of places. One might expect Dante’s initial inspiration was God, if not his literary hero Virgil, or intellectual hero St. Thomas Aquinas… but Dante’s chief inspiration preceded even the influence of these great figures.

Of all things, The Divine Comedy was born from… earthly romance. It all began when he was 18 years old, walking the streets of Florence, and caught the eyes of the most beautiful woman he’d ever encountered.

Here’s how a pretty woman’s glance inspired the greatest work of genius in history, and what it can teach you about channeling love to fuel your own greatness…