During his exile, Dante Alighieri spent the last years of his life (1317–1321) as a guest at the court of Guido Novello da Polenta, lord of Ravenna, who during those years reconquered the Castle of Polenta. The poet’s stay in Romagna was also connected to the complex political situation of the time: his native land had come under the control of his cousin Guido Riccio and later of his son Alberico, who was plotting against Ravenna. Guido Novello sent his brother Giovanni to the castle with a small army, managing to seize the fortress under a pretext. The expedition caused a sensation and attracted Dante’s interest, leading him to visit the stronghold and stay at the ancient Parish Church of San Donato.

Dante’s experience in Romagna is reflected in two cantos of the Divine Comedy, which link his work to the history of Bertinoro and Polenta:

• Inferno, Canto V, the celebrated canto of Paolo and Francesca, devoted to the tragic passion of the daughter of the Da Polenta family, made famous throughout the world of Dantean poetry.
• Purgatorio, Canto XIV, in which Dante recalls two distinguished citizens of Bertinoro, Guido del Duca and Arrigo Mainardi, and celebrates the tradition of hospitality, described in the verses “the ladies and the knights, their hardships and their ease / inspired by love and courtesy...”, a symbol of the civilization and medieval cordiality of the region.

Dante’s presence in Bertinoro and Polenta not only enriched his personal experience, but also made the cultural ties between the poet and Romagna everlasting. In these places, among fortresses, parish churches, and hills, Dante discovered and described a world of hospitality, courtesy, and civic values—elements that would find an echo in the immortal pages of the Divine Comedy.