Giacomo da Lentini

Giacomo da Lentini (* 1210 in Lentini, † 1260 ) was Italian notary at the court of Frederick II in Palermo and the most significant representative of the Sicilian school of poetry.

About forty poems by him have survived. As the head of the " Scuola Siciliana " to him the invention of the sonnet in 1230 is attributed. In his poems he calls himself " il Notaro " ( the notary ). So he finds its way into Dante's Divine Comedy, where he is mentioned in the 24th canto of the Purgatorio ( verse 55-57 ):

" " O frate, issa vegg'io " diss'elli, « il nodo / che ' l Notaro e Guittone e me ritenne / di qua dal dolce stil novo ch'i ' odo! ... » "

" " Oh, brother, " he said," now I see the node / of the notary and Guitton and held me away / from the new sweet style I hear. ... » "