Which political conflict shaped Dante Alighieri’s early life in Florence?

Dante Alighieri’s early life in Florence was shaped by the intense factionalism within the Guelfs, the political party that supported the papacy.12

During the 1290s, the ruling Guelf class in Florence split into two opposing groups: the Black Guelfs, led by Corso Donati, and the White Guelfs, to which Dante belonged. While the Whites initially gained power and exiled the Blacks, the political landscape shifted when an alliance formed between Pope Boniface VIII, the French, and the exiled Black Guelfs.12

Dante’s active involvement in this conflict—including his opposition to the Pope's territorial ambitions—led to his downfall. While he was serving on an embassy to Rome in 1301, the Black Guelfs reentered Florence and seized control. Consequently, Dante was condemned on false charges and sentenced to death, resulting in his permanent exile from the city. This traumatic rupture became a central theme in his literary work, most notably in his epic poem, The Divine Comedy.21