Jacopo Alighieri

Jacopo Alighieri (1289–1348; sometimes written as Iacopo Alighieri) was an Italian poet, the son of Dante Alighieri, whom he followed in his exile. Jacopo's most famous work is his sixty-chapter Dottrinale. He is represented by his father in the Paradiso of the Divine Comedy as Saint James along with Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist, representing his brothers Pietro and Giovanni.

Biography

Born in 1289 in Florence, Jacopo was the son of Dante Alighieri and his wife, Gemma di Manetto Donati.

He was exiled from Florence with his father and brothers Giovanni and Pietro in 1315. He subsequently traveled to Ravenna, where he may have lived with his father. Dante died in 1321, and Jacopo sent a copy of the Divine Comedy to Guido da Polenta, the lord of the city. In 1325, he returned to Florence, where he took minor orders, making it possible for him to become a canon in Verona. At home, he took charge of his family's financial affairs; in 1343, he was able to retake possession of his father's confiscated property. In his later years, he had a troubled relationship with Jacopa di Biliotto degli Alfani, with whom he had a daughter named Alighiera and a son named Alighiero.

Jacopo died in 1348, likely in Florence from the Black Death.

Additional bibliography

G. Piccinini, ed. (1915). Chiose alla cantica dell'Inferno di Dante Alighieri scritte da Jacopo Alighieri pubblicate per la prima volta in corretta lezione con riscontri e fac-simili di codici, e procedute da una indagine critica per cura di Jarro. Firenze: G. Piccinini. Retrieved 3 July 2015 – via R. Bemporad & figlio editori.