The man who created our vision of hell can be seen for the first time in more than 700 years after scientists rebuilt his face using his skull. Dante Alighieri became an icon of western literature with his writing, and his magnum opus was the Divine Comedy, which described a journey into heaven, hell, and purgatory.

His description of hell is now the standard – an inferno of nine circles where the worst offenders are confined to the deepest reaches, and sinners receive ironic punishments for their misdeeds. Yet despite his enduring legacy, the true face of the artist is shrouded in mystery, with the most popular paintings of his likeness created long after his death.