Dante Alighieri composed the Divine Comedy over a period of 12 years, completing it in 1320. He divided the poem into three parts - Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is the first canto from Inferno that we have reproduced here. Dante's vision of the afterlife continues to inspire writers and artists around the world. Original Art: Illustrated page from a manuscript copy of Dante's Divine Comedy (Canto 1 of Inferno). Era: 14th century. Region: Italy.