Why did Dante write in Italian instead of Latin?

Dante wrote in Italian rather than Latin because he wanted his work to be accessible to a wider audience. Latin was the language of scholars and the educated elite during Dante's time, but Italian was the language spoken by the common people. By writing in Italian, Dante was able to reach a larger readership and communicate his ideas to a broader spectrum of society. Additionally, Dante believed that Italian was a more expressive and beautiful language than Latin, and he wanted to showcase its potential for literary and poetic works.