Book Section
George Dameron

Dante’s War

Exiles, carestia, and Conflict in the Florentine Countryside, 1301–1304
During two years of public service (1300 and 1301), Dante was engaged in initiatives to ensure food (grain) security for Florence. However, as a signatory of the San Godenzo accord in June of 1302, the exiled Dante joined and helped lead the armed struggle by White Guelfs and Ghibellines in the Mugello valley to disrupt Florentine interests, particularly grain shipments, during the 1302–03 food crisis ( carestia). His involvement in this effort seems to contrast with certain aspects of the model of leadership that he developed in later works, including Convivio and the Commedia.
Keywords: exile; Guelfs; grain; food; priorate; carestia; Convivio; Mugello
Title
Dante’s War
Subtitle
Exiles, carestia, and Conflict in the Florentine Countryside, 1301–1304
Author(s)
George Dameron
Identifier
Description
During two years of public service (1300 and 1301), Dante was engaged in initiatives to ensure food (grain) security for Florence. However, as a signatory of the San Godenzo accord in June of 1302, the exiled Dante joined and helped lead the armed struggle by White Guelfs and Ghibellines in the Mugello valley to disrupt Florentine interests, particularly grain shipments, during the 1302–03 food crisis ( carestia). His involvement in this effort seems to contrast with certain aspects of the model of leadership that he developed in later works, including Convivio and the Commedia.
Is Part Of
Place
Berlin
Publisher
ICI Berlin Press
Date
November 4, 2025
Subject
exile
Guelfs
grain
food
priorate
carestia
Convivio
Mugello
Rights
© by the author(s)
Except for images or otherwise noted, this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Language
en-GB
page start
149
page end
179
Source
A World of Possibilities: The Legacy of The Undivine Comedy, ed. by Kristina M. Olson, Cultural Inquiry, 37 (Berlin: ICI Berlin Press, 2025), pp. 149–79

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Cite as: George Dameron, ‘Dante’s War: Exiles, carestia, and Conflict in the Florentine Countryside, 1301–1304’, in A World of Possibilities: The Legacy of The Undivine Comedy, ed. by Kristina M. Olson, Cultural Inquiry, 37 (Berlin: ICI Berlin Press, 2025), pp. 149-79 <https://doi.org/10.37050/ci-37_08>