Rare and Important 19th century or earlier multi-color Marble & Alabaster Bust According to Dante, he first met Beatrice when his father took him to the Portinari house for a May Day party. At the time, Beatrice was eight years old, a year younger than Dante. Dante was instantly taken with her and remained so throughout her life even though she married another man, banker Simone dei Bardi, in 1287. Beatrice died three years later in June 1290 at the age of 24. Dante continued to hold an abiding love and respect for the woman after her death, even after he married Gemma Donati in 1285 and had children. After Beatrice's death, Dante withdrew into intense study and began composing poems dedicated to her memory. The collection of these poems, along with others he had previously written in his journal in awe of Beatrice, became La Vita Nuova Provenance-assembled from our family's Maryland estate, The Edith Hale Harkness estate. The Harkness Family was among 19th century America's first philanthropic society families as financiers to Rockefeller & Flagler for Standard Oil. Continue the Story! Our private family world-wide holdings include thousands of unique furnishings, art, objects, and jewelry. Please consider us a trusted resource, call me personally for a unique fresh find. Mars.