5. Pope Nicholas III spoke with Dante as the latter journeyed through hell
Boniface VIII was not the only pope encountered by Dante as he was guided through the circles of hell by Virgil. The first he met was Nicholas III, whom at first the poet mistook for Boniface, until Nicholas corrected his error. Dante met Nicholas in the eighth circle of hell, where the former pope is the greatest sinner of those placed there for the crime of simony (the selling of offices and positions within the Church). Dante is told by Nicholas that Boniface (who was still alive at the time The Inferno was written), was destined to join him there, as well as Clement V. Nicholas III did enrich himself and his offices through the sale of positions within the Church hierarchy, though he did so mostly to members of his own family, creating a deserved reputation for nepotism.
He also built a villa for himself and succeeding popes near Viterbo. To erect the villa, which served as his summer residence, Nicholas provided the funds to his nephew, in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Nicholas appointed no less than five of his nephews as Cardinals of the Church, as well as a brother. Despite his known simony and nepotism, his body was taken to Rome following his sudden death of either a heart attack or stroke while at his villa. He was interred within the Vatican Basilica. His sudden death led to speculation that he had been poisoned, though most scholars discount the theory, attributing his death to a catastrophic collapse of health, most likely a massive stroke.