Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando Furioso

Jo Ann Cavallo (Columbia University)

Ed. by Jo Ann Cavallo, Columbia University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.6.1: Italian Writing and Culture, 453-present.
Vol. editors: Carla Bregman (Independent Scholar - North America), Jo Ann Cavallo (Columbia University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1532

Places

Italy (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

One of the best known works in Italian literature, the Orlando Furioso, is a continuation of the romance epic Orlando Innamorato, which was left unfinished at the ninth canto of Book Three when Boiardo died in 1494. Like Boiardo, Ariosto weaves together Carolingian and Arthurian themes into an intricately interlaced plot, creatively imitating a vast range of works—from classical epic poetry and history to medieval lyric and novella traditions—in order to surprise, delight, and signify. As he continues to mix imaginary sites and the geographical reality of a rapidly expanding globe, Ariosto not only meticulously completes the various threads of Boiardo’s poem, but also adds original episodes following his own creative …

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2806 words

Citation: Cavallo, Jo Ann. "Orlando Furioso". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 December 2014 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2989, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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