Daughter of Guido I da Polenta, Francesca was married to the crippled Giovanni Malatesta in 1275, the son of Malatesta da Verucchio, lord of Rimini. This marriage was not a result of love at first sight, but as a peace treaty between Guido da Polenta and the Malatesta family.

While in Rimini, Francesca fell in love with Giovanni's brother, Paolo. Though both of them were married, they started an affair after reading about Sir Lancelot. The affair lasted for ten years, until Giovanni learned about it and killed both of them!

In the Divine Comedy, Dante and Virgil encounter the couple in the second circle of Hell, Lust. Paolo & Francesca are literally being swept away by a hurricane, as a symbol for how they were swept by their lust. When Dante asks who the two lovers are, they float(?) over to the poets, where Francesca tells Dante her sad story. Dante, having heard of them before, is filled with so much pity, he faints like "how dead bodies fall".

Because of the sudden shift from epic allegorical poetry to a romantic drama that predates Romeo & Juliet, the two have inspired a collection of paintings, sculptures, and operas.