In the 19th century one of the notions widely entertained by Italian scholars was that Dante (1265-1321) was an early champion of national unity. This study is the first to examine this process of national reinterpretation from the French Revolution to Italy's involvement in the First World War. It takes a close and detailed look at academic and political debates, Dante festivals, societies, monuments, and instruction in schools. It shows how the national cult of Dante was able to spread through all regions of the country until 1861 but encountered increasing resistance after the foundation of the Italian nation state.