Cantos 5

Dante is surprised to see Francesca da Rimini, though her story in well known. She was married to Gianciotto Malatesta of Rimini for political reasons and fell in love with his younger brother Paolo. ­When her husband discovered their affair, probably in 1285, he killed them both. Dante was around 20 years old when this occurred and must have been profoundly saddened by the tragic affair, thus, their story affects him more deeply than those of more distant historical and literary figures