Francesca da Rimini
From Freepedia
Francesca da Rimini or Francesca da Polenta (died 1285) was the beautiful daughter of Guido da Polenta of Ravenna. She was historical contemporary of Dante Alighieri.
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Arranged Marriage
Guido da Polenta had been in war with Malatesta. Peace had been negotiated and he wanted to solidify it by marrying Francesca with Giovanni Malatesta of Rimini, heir of Malatesta. Giovanni was brave but lame and deformed. Guido knew Francesca would refuse him, so the marriage was proxy through Paolo, handsome brother of Giovanni.
Francesca fell in love with Paolo and was unaware of the deception until the morning after the wedding day.
Paolo and Francesca became lovers after being seduced by their reading of the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. They were subsequently surprised and murdered by Giovanni in 1285.
Related Works of Art
- 1308-1321 Divine Comedy. (Inferno, Canto V), Dante
- 1819 Paolo and Francesca. Oil on canvas, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Musée Turpin de Crissé, Angers, France
- 1870 The Death of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta. Oil on canvas, Alexandre Cabanel, Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
- 1876 Francesca de Rimini. Symphonic Poem, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- 1888 The Kiss. marble sculpture, Auguste Rodin, Musée Rodin, Paris.
- 1901 Francesca da Rimini, Gabriele D'Annunzio (tragedy, written for Eleonora Duse)
- 1906 Francesca da Rimini. Opera, Sergei Rachmaninoff
External Links
- WisdomPortal Includes images of related artworks.
Reference
- 1970 The Divine Comedy, Inferno/Commentary. Charles S. Singleton, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-01895-2
