The Divine Comedy · Character
Cacciaguida
Dante's great-great-grandfather, a crusader martyred under Emperor Conrad, who greets the poet in the Heaven of Mars and foretells his exile.
supporting
Also known as ↩ Cacciaguida
First appearance: Canto XV
As a supporting figure in The Divine Comedy, Cacciaguida is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Dante's great-grandfather, a blessed spirit in the sphere of Mars, who recounts the virtuous past of Florence and his own martyrdom.
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Cacciaguida is the one ancestor Dante meets face to face, a knight of the old Florence who speaks in a dialect already archaic and boasts of a city still pure. He answers Dante's questions about his lineage and the…
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See Cacciaguida in Canto XVCharacter Web
12 connectionsA slice of how Cacciaguida sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Sinners and Historical Figures
- Protagonist
- Heavenly Guides and Saints
+7 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this canto, the dramatic climax occurs when Dante, having been emboldened to ask Virgil to teach him the na…
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Cacciaguida appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Cacciaguida unlock in the free preview.
See Cacciaguida in Canto XV