What fueled Dante's Inferno?

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Politically, philosophically, and religiously, the "fuel" or driving force behind Dante's writing "The Inferno" was a conflict between two political factions in Italy at that time. One faction, the Ghibellines, represented the medieval aristocracy and supported the continued power of the Holy Roman Emperor. The other faction, the Guelphs and the faction to which Dante belonged, represented the rising middle class of merchants, bankers, etc. who supported a return to papal superiority. In fact, Dante placed Farinata, the leader of the Ghibellines in Florence, in the circle of hell reserved for heretics. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/The-Divine-Comedy-Inferno-About-The-Divine-Comedy-Inferno.id-77,pageNum-2.html Jun 18 11, 2:01 PM