Five things to know about Dante, author of 'The Divine Comedy'

A photo taken at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence shows a recreated death mask of Italian poet, writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri. Photo: AFP

Dante Alighieri is chiefly remembered as the author of the Divine Comedy and as the father of the Italian language.

As Italy celebrates the 700th anniversary of his death, with events including a legal re-examination of Dante's convictions that led to his exile, here are five things to know about a titan of world literature.