Cacciaguida 2010 Cacciaguida Images

Cacciaguida degli Elisei (c. 1091 – c. 1148) was an Italian crusader, the great-great-grandfather of Dante Alighieri. Little is known about his life. He was born in Florence, and two documents from 1189 and 1201 mention his existence; all other details of his biography are those from his most famous descendant's works. Cacciaguida probably died in the Holy Land. Dante meets Cacciaguida in ''Paradiso'', precisely in the ''canti'' XV-XVII. Apart from their literary value, the ''canti'' are important for the information they provide about Florence in the 12th century. In the ''canto'' XVII, Cacciaguida forecasts Dante's future, namely his exile from Florence and the solitude of his late years.