Francesca da Rimini (Italian pronunciation: [franˈtʃeska da (r)ˈriːmini]) or Francesca da Polenta (IPA: [franˈtʃeska da (p)poˈlɛnta]; 1255 – c. 1285) was a medieval Italian noblewoman originally from Ravenna, known for having been murdered by her husband, Giovanni Malatesta, upon his discovery of Francesca's affair with his brother, Paolo Malatesta. She was a contemporary of Dante Alighieri, who portrayed her as a character in the Divine Comedy.