Orlando Innamorato

Boiardo, Matteo Maria (1440–1494), translated by Kline, A. S. (contact-email)

Matteo Maria Boiardo, Count of Scandiano (1440-1494), was an Italian nobleman and writer educated in law and philosophy at the University of Ferrara. Under the patronage of the d'Este family, he held governorship positions in Reggio and Modena. Boiardo’s literary works include Petrarchan love poetry and various adaptations. His seminal work, Orlando Innamorato, was published posthumously in 1495. The epic romanticizes the character Orlando, drawn from the 11th-century French "Chanson de Roland." The narrative involves Orlando and Rinaldo’s love for Angelica and a larger conflict against invading heathen forces. Key characters include Bradamante, Rinaldo’s sister, who loves the heathen knight Ruggiero. It is prophesied that the two will wed and found the Italian House of Este. Boiardo’s work set the stage for Ariosto’s later epic and introduced significant characters that carried over into Ariosto’s narrative.

Author Details

Matteo Maria Boiardo (1440–1494) was an Italian Renaissance poet, best known for his epic work, “Orlando Innamorato.” Born in 1440 in the vicinity of Scandiano, in the Reggio Emilia province (now Emilia-Romagna), Boiardo held the hereditary title of Count of Scandiano, governing over Arceto, Casalgrande, Gesso, and Torricella. He received a comprehensive education at the University of Ferrara, mastering Greek, Latin, and Oriental languages, and earning doctorates in philosophy and law.

Boiardo’s career gained him favour with Borso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara. He attended diplomatic missions to meet Frederick III (1469) and visiting Pope Paul II in the company of Borso (1471). In 1472, he married Taddea Gonzaga. Boiardo’s governance extended to Reggio from 1474, with a brief interval as governor of Modena from 1481 to 1486.

His literary pursuits commenced with Petrarchan love poems, progressing to adaptations of various historical works. Boiardo’s most enduring composition, “Orlando Innamorato,” is as an epic chivalric romance. The poem features the adventures of knights from the court of Charlemagne, rather than the Arthurian legends. It includes themes of honour, love, and a multitude of intriguing adventures. Boiardo’s vivid imagination chronicle encounters with giants, enchanted castles, magic boats, and mythical creatures.

Although Boiardo left his masterpiece unfinished, it was later completed and recast by other authors, with Ariosto’s brilliant “Orlando Furioso” being the most renowned sequel.

Boiardo’s literary works were primarily composed for the entertainment of Duke Ercole and his court. He wrote in the solitude of his estates, the rural surroundings informing his work. Many of his character names were drawn from the local inhabitants.

Boiardo died in December 1494 in Reggio Emilia.

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Kline, A. S.

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