Dante Alighieri: Face of poet, who created our vision of hell, discovered by scientists after 700 years

Dante Alighieri, the man who gave us our vision of hell can be seen for the first time in almost 700 years, after his face was recreated using his skull by scientists.

With his writings, Dante Alighieri rose to fame in Western literature. His masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, depicted a voyage through purgatory, hell, and heaven, according to Daily Mail.

His portrayal of hell, which consists of nine rings and confines the worst sinners to the lowest depths while punishing sinners with ironic consequences for their transgressions, has become the accepted definition of hell.

The most well-known portraits of the artist were made long after his passing, thus even with his lasting influence, his true identity remains a mystery.

By digitally recreating the appearance of the literary legend using Dante's skull, a new study has shown what the man himself looked like.

The study's lead author, Brazilian graphics expert Cicero Moraes explained why traditional representations of the poet fell short.

He said: "Most are based on the information contained in the biography of Dante composed by the writer Boccaccio."

"Namely, that he was an individual of medium height, somewhat stooped, with a long face, an aquiline nose and eyes that were more large than small. However, Boccaccio did not know Dante personally and collected reports from people close to the poet and who lived with him," he added.