Beatrice at The Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon

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Beatrice "Bice" di Folco Portinari (1266-1290) was a notable Florentine woman who has been widely recognized as the primary muse for Dante Alighieri's Vita Nuova, and is also frequently linked to the Beatrice appearing as one of his guides in the Divine Comedy in the final book, Paradiso, and in the last four cantos of Purgatorio. There she takes over as guide from the Latin poet Virgil because, as a pagan, he cannot enter Paradise and because being the embodiment of beatific love, her name implies that it is Beatrice who leads into the Beatific vision. Scholars have long disputed whether the historical Beatrice is intended to be identified with either or both of the Beatrices in Dante's writings. She was apparently the daughter of the banker Folco Portinari, and was married to another banker, Simone dei Bardi. Dante claims to have met a "Beatrice" only twice, on occasions separated by nine years, but his encounters had such a profound impact that he carried his love for her throughout his life.