William Blake, Whirlwind of Lovers, c. 1826 Illustration of the scene in Canto V of the Inferno in which Dante meets the spirit of Francesca da Rimini, who committed adultery with her brother in law, Paolo. Overcome with grief at their story of thwarted love, Dante has fainted at the feet of his underworld guide, the Roman poet Virgil, as a whirlwind of other sinful lovers writhes around them.