Strukul is Alexandre Dumas 2.0: an eclectic and captivating author, whose historical tales are told with the pace and lightness of our times – TTL – La Stampa

War, passion, conspiracy, betrayal and intrigue: Strukul’s recipe, blending history and invention, for great reads that become bestsellers – La Repubblica

Matteo Strukul writes a fascinating historical novel set in Florence and rediscovers in a different light the life of Dante Alighieri and the genesis of the most important work of all time, the Comedy. An unprecedented Dante, a warrior, an adventurer, a passionate lover – il Gazzettino

Facing the figure of Dante Alighieri with an unprecedented literary perspective is a brilliant undertaking, given the greatness of the character, but it is also an excellent way to bring the Supreme Poet closer to the readers, especially the young ones, through the adventurous and the human dimension of the greatest poet as he has never been depicted before – la Repubblica

On the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, best-selling author Matteo Strukul introduces the world to an unseen face of the creator of Divina Commedia: a tormented man, a husband, a dreamer, a commander of flesh and blood, a good friend of one of the most important personalities of the time, such as the painter Giotto and the poet Guido Cavalcanti.

Young Dante Alighieri is living in dark and gloomy times when Florence is split in two between the supporters of the Pope and the Church (Guelfs) and those loyal to the Emperor (Ghibellines). He is only interested in poetry, but he is still practically unknown as an author. His wife Gemma Donati, frustrated by his lack of ambition beyond literature, encourages him to take a more active role in the life of Florence.

Thus Dante takes up arms and defends his city on the verge of a civil war. The horrors of the war will torment him forever but also will inspire him to write his masterpiece:  the Divina Commedia.

In this new, passionate and literary interpretation, Matteo Strukul reveals the enigma behind the greatest poet of all time by also exploring the characters around him.

Above all, the women of Dante’s family and affections stand out: the unsung Gemma, a strong, beautiful and intelligent woman, left in the shadows of history, constantly ignored and underestimated by her husband; Beatrice, who incarnates the dream, the perfect love and the promise of a perfect life; Dante’s lively mother-in-law, Lapa, who sticks up for him during the domestic quarrels. Moreover, the story is enriched with a lot of lush and atmospheric details: the shadow over a face, the hoof-prints left on the ice after a battle, the beautiful landscapes that open in front of our eyes as scenarios of a painting… Strukul gives the readers the opportunity to travel in space not only in time, diving into the story through their senses, as they follow the author of the Inferno on his own personal descent into Hell.