Reg - I think the soft spot I have for Dante is mainly due to my interest in literature, poetry, and linguistics. (Currently Im double majoring in English and Philosophy - though it seems obvious by the last few posts on this thread). His la Vita Nuova is incredible, IMO.
I would compare Virgil's approach to Dante somewhat, and say his significance is similar to Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates - valuable for knowing the roots, but slightly less insightful then contemporary works.