Paolo Malatesta

Paolo Malatesta was an Italian nobleman from the 13th century, part of the powerful Malatesta family in Rimini. He is famously known through Dante Alighieri’s "Divine Comedy," where he appears in the Inferno section as a tragic figure. Paolo was murdered alongside his lover, Francesca da Rimini, after a love affair that defied social and family boundaries. Their story symbolizes the destructive power of passion and is often cited in discussions about love and fate. Historically, he was a political figure, but his enduring legacy largely stems from Dante’s poetic depiction of his romantic tragedy.