Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta

Francesca da Rimini was a victim of political intrigue, forced into marriage with a man she did not love. Her heart longed for his brother, Paolo Malatesta, with whom she began a dangerous and passionate affair. Sadly, their happiness was short-lived – Francesca’s husband unexpectedly discovered the lovers together and, enraged, murdered them both. This bloody tragedy shocked contemporaries, and the poet Dante immortalised it in his famous “Divine Comedy.” In the work, the lovers are depicted as condemned to wander hell forever, buffeted by the wind, yet inseparable even in death. Their story became an eternal warning about destructive but irresistible passion.

Locations and attractions

• Gradara Castle