Person

Paolo Malatesta

c. 1246–c. 1285 · 13th century · Also known as Paolo il Bello

Paolo Malatesta, called il Bello, was a son of Malatesta da Verucchio, lord of Rimini, and served as captain of the people in Florence in 1282. His love affair with his sister-in-law Francesca da Polenta ended when his brother Giovanni, called Gianciotto, killed them both around 1285. Dante immortalised the pair in the fifth canto of the Inferno.

Paolo Malatesta
Image: Ernst Klimt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Lordship of Rimini

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Paolo Malatesta. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paolo-malatesta
MLA
“Paolo Malatesta.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paolo-malatesta. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Paolo Malatesta.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paolo-malatesta.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Paolo Malatesta’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/paolo-malatesta (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻