Dolce Stil Novo (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdoltʃe ˌstil ˈnɔːvo], meaning "sweet new style") was a literary movement in 13th and 14th century Italy. It was influenced by the Sicilian School and Tuscan poetry, and its main theme was Divine Love. The term "Dolce Stil Novo" was first used by Dante Alighieri in Purgatorio, the second part of Divina Commedia. In Divina Commedia, Dante meets Bonagiunta Orbicciani, a 13th-century Italian poet, who tells Dante that Dante himself, Guido Guinizelli, and Guido Cavalcanti had created a new style of poetry called "stil novo."

Poetry from this movement often praises the human form, using vivid descriptions of female beauty. The women in these poems are frequently compared to creatures from paradise, described as "angels" or "bridges to God." The love in Dolce Stil Novo is not physical but spiritual, centered on Divine Love. This poetry also includes deep self-reflection. Many literary critics believe that the Stil Novo poets were the first in Italy to introduce introspection into literature, a style later expanded by Francesco Petrarca. These two themes—self-reflection and love—come together as poets explore their inner feelings, which are inspired by the beauty of a woman they see as divinely perfect. The first example of this style is found in Guido Guinizelli’s poem Al cor gentil rempaira sempre amore. Earlier influences include the Provençal poetry of troubadours, such as the Genoese Lanfranc Cigala. Poets of the Stil Novo are called stilnovisti.

The importance of Dolce Stil Novo lies in its role as the first true literary tradition in Italy. It also elevated the Tuscan vernacular, which later became the Italian national language.

In Dante'sPurgatorio

In Dante Alighieri's Purgatorio XXIV, on the sixth level of Purgatory, the poet and glutton Bonagiunta Orbicciani confirms that Dante is the poet who wrote the poem "Ladies that have intelligence of love" from Vita Nuova. Bonagiunta uses the phrase dolce stil novo ("sweet new style"), which is the first time the term appears in the Italian language, to describe Dante's poetic style. He explains that this style marks a change from the styles used by earlier poets like Giacomo da Lentini and Guittone d'Arezzo.

Scholars have studied what dolce stil novo means, but there is still debate about its exact definition. In Purgatorio XXIV, Dante says, "I am one who, when Love inspires me, takes note, and, as he dictates within me, so I set it forth" (lines 52–54). Scholars disagree about what "Love" means in this passage. Some believe it refers to Amore, the god of love, while others think it refers to the Christian God. Robert Hollander suggests that the phrase can be understood in religious terms. By using Bonagiunta to describe his style as dolce stil novo, Dante shows that his poetry is different from typical love poetry because of the religious importance of Beatrice. Beatrice represents God's love for Dante, and she also acts as his guide toward God. Hollander and Furio Brugnolo argue that Cino da Pistoia, whom Dante believed was the only person who understood the significance of Beatrice, also belongs to this group of poets.

Dante scholar Zygmunt G. Barański says the meaning of dolce stil novo can be found within the poem itself. He describes it as a style where the form and content of the poetry work together in harmony, and this harmony makes the style "sweet." The word dulcis means "clear," and Dante believed that poetry should be as easy to understand as possible to be sweet.

In the nineteenth century, scholars began to study dolce stil novo as a group or "school" of poetry. To distinguish Dante's use of the term in Purgatorio from the broader literary movement, scholars called the movement stil nuovo.