Dante is both the poet of and a character in Purgatorio, which implements first-person narration. Dante was born in the mid-1260s in Florence at a time when two rival factions, the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, fought increasingly brutal battles, each swinging in and out of power.

In 1289, Dante fought with the Guelphs in the Battle of Campaldino. The Guelphs won but then split into opposing camps: the Blacks and the Whites. Corso Forese, whose brother Donati appears in Cantos 23 and 24, led the Blacks, who supported papal involvement in Florentine politics. Dante supported the Whites, who sought greater freedom from the papacy. Initially, the Whites gained power and banished the Blacks. While Dante was away on a diplomatic mission to the pope, Charles of Valois, brother of the French king, invaded Florence with the Black Guelphs, who installed their own government. This coup resulted in Dante, along with other White Guelph members, being exiled. White Guelph attempts to recapture Florence failed due to betrayals within the faction, leading Dante to become embittered by his enemies and disillusioned by the infighting among purported allies.

Dante wrote The Divine Comedy, which includes Purgatorio, in exile. Purgatorio’s conception of purification as a journey to recover the communal self highly reflect Dante’s experiences at this time.