In 1200, two families, Da Polenta of Ravenna and Malatesta from Rimini, were the most influential in the political life of the Romagna region. In 1239, Rimini's ruler was Malatesta da Verucchio, Malatesta da Verucchio, who had four children: Giovanni, nicknamed Janciotto Lame, because he was ugly and had birth defects, Malatestino, Paolo the Beautiful ( Paolo Il Bello) and Maddalena.

From a small age, the children of Malatesta were politically educated and always accompanied their father in various negotiations . Especially distinguished in this Dzhanchotto and Paolo . Both of them, in 1265, fought against Guido from Montefeltro (Guido da Montefeltro) and Traversari (supported by Da Polenta . B 127 5, deciding to celebrate the victory and consolidate the union, the heads of the families agreed to become related: the first-born of Malatesta, Dzhanchotto, was to lead the daughter of Da Polenta, Francesca . Intimately, Francesca's parents understood that her daughter would never want to marry a cripple, and then it was decided to mislead the daughter: a young and beautiful Paolo had to marry Francesca by proxy from an older brother, and suggest that he is her real husband .

Seeing a young and energetic young man from the window, the girl was fascinated and without romedleniya consented to the marriage. The next morning she realized that she was lying next to an unpleasant and ugly old man, it was Gancorotto. It is also known that since 1269, Paolo was already married to the last heiress of the castle of Gijaggiòlo in the Forlian Appanines, Orabile Beatrice

Despite disappointment and deceit, Francesca gave birth to a daughter, Concordia, for Gianciotto, which, after the murder of the mother and the second marriage of her father, was sent to the monastery of Santarcangelo di Romagna.

After a while, in 1282, Paolo, thanks to his innate diplomacy, was appointed Roman Pope Martin IV by the Governor of Florence, and Gianchotto at this time became mayor of the city of Pesaro . In 1283, Paolo returned to Romagna . And, settling near Gradara, became a frequent guest at the castle at Gianciotto, also meeting with his wife . During one of their meetings, the young ones were caught By surprise Malatestino dell'Occhio, Paolo's younger brother and Dzhanchott . He told his older brother about what he saw . Then Dzhanchotto pretended to leave for Pesaro . But suddenly returning to the castle, he found Francesco and Paolo together in the room .

Reading the love story of Lancelot and Guinevere, the young ones filled with boundless passion and ... kissed. At this time, enraged Ganciotto flew into the room and drew his sword. Paolo tried to escape through the hatch, but clinging to his clothes, he could not complete his escape. At the moment when Dzhanchotto decided to plunge his sword into his brother, Francesca rose up between them and was killed along with Paolo. Thus, blinded by jealousy and anger, Dzhanchotto killed both.

There are no confirming sources about the events and the exact place of what happened, only legends and stories of people passed from generation to generation. Numerous studies have been carried out regarding this exciting story. But many allegations refer to the fact that concealing the murder could have been in the interest of maintaining relations between ruling families or dictated by political jealousy, as Gianchotto felt strongly envious of his brother for his brilliant career.

This love story inspired many artists and poets different times to create their masterpieces. The tragic love of Paolo and Francesca was sung by Dante Alighieri in "The Divine Comedy", Canto V, "Hell":

73	I started like this: "I'd like to answer
	From the two who are together
	@ And this storm is so easily carried away. "
76	And my leader:" Let the wind bring them down
	Close to us; and let them pray with love,
	Their hail; they will terminate the flight. "
79	Seeing that their wind is inured to us:
	"O soul of sorrow! I called out. - This way!
	And respond if He allows! "
82	Like pigeons on the sweet call of the nest,
	Supported by the will of the carrier,
	Spreading wings, rushing without effort,
85	So they, hovering in the darkness of oppressive,
	I left the Dido with a sorrowful swarm
	At my exclaiming cheerful call
88	"O sweet and kind alive,
	You, who visited us in the darkness of the indescribable
	, the bloody world of the earthly
@ 91	Whenever we were a friend of the universe king,
	We would have prayed that he would save you,
	Sympathetic to the sacred secret
94	And if we have a conversation with you,
	We are happy to talk and listen to ourselves,
	Whirlwind is still speechless, like here now.
99	I'm was born above those shores,
	Where the waves are like a tired messenger,
	Meet Po with the passing rivers
100	Love burns the tender hearts,
	And he was captivated by the body incomparable,
	Ruined so scary at the hour of the end.
103	Love, loving my beloved,
	I was so attracted to him so much,
	What you see as an unbreakable bond.
106	Love together for the loss of us
	There will be an extinguisher in Cain. "
	Such a speech flowed from them.
109	Mourning Shadows crushed spectator,
	I bent my head in anguish to my chest.
	"What are you thinking about? "The teacher asked.
112	I started like this:" Oh, did anybody know,
	What a misfortune and a dream what
	They led to this bitter path! "
115	Then, to the silent word, turning,
	Said:" Francesca, your complaint
	I'm crying with tears, compassionate.
118	But tell me: between the sighs of tender days,
	What was your love of science,
	Heard secret call of passions? "
121	And she to me:" He is suffering with the highest torment,
	Who remembers the times
	In misfortune; your leader is a bailer
124	But if you know before the first grain
	Unhappy love you are full of thirst,
	Words and tears will be bored in full
127	In an idle time we once read
	About Lancelot a sweet story,
	We were alone, everyone was careless
130	We met with the book over and over again,
	And we paled with a secret shudder
	But then the story won us .
133	We read a little about how he kissed
	He clung to the smile of his expensive mouth,
	The one with whom I was forever tied up,
136	Kissed, trembling, my
	And the book became our Galeot!
	None of us read the sheet. "
139	The Spirit spoke, tormented by terrible oppression,
	Another sobbed, and the torment of their hearts
	My brow covered with mortal sweat;
142	@ And I fell like a dead man.