Imagenes de ludovico ariosto biography
•
Archives
Still in print today, Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto’s epic poem Orlando Furioso has remained one of the most popular works of literature since its first publication in 1516. The poem continued Matteo Maria Boiardo’s unfinished multi-part Orlando Innamorato, which was published in Western printing’s infancy between 1483 and 1495. Its earliest editions are either lost or survive in very few copies.
Orlando Furioso quickly eclipsed the popularity of Boiardo’s work. Ariosto revised the poem at least twice, with a second edition released in 1521 and a posthumous third edition with several additional cantos published in 1532. The work—a chivalric romance that follows the journey of the hero, Roland, after the loss of a love and his sanity—was published in dozens of Italian and Latin editions in the sixteenth century. However, English readers not fluent in either language (a good number of women among them) would have to wait 75 years to read
•
A Poem Through Images – Illustrating the world of Ariosto’s stad i florida Furioso
The Venetian printer Vincenzo Valgrisi's edition of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso contains a number of elaborate and skilful illustrations.
In this blog post, Warburg Graduate Library Trainee, Simone Monti, tells us more about the use and importance of early printed book illustrations through exploring the publishing history of Valgrisi's edition of Furioso.
‘Le donne, i cavallier, l’arme, gli amori, / le cortesie, l’audaci imprese io canto’ [‘Of loves and ladies, knights and arms, I sing, / of courtesies, and many a daring feat’] (I, 1, 1-2). Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso (1532) is one of the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance as well as one of the first bestsellers of European literature. As per these opening lines, this epic-chivalric poem tells the story of the paladins and dames at the court of Charlemagne, weaving together military deeds, love affairs, and fantastical a
•
By Samantha Hughes-Johnson
On this day (8 September) in 1474 the Italian poet, Ludovico Ariosto was born in Reggio Emilia in the Duchy of Modena. His father was Niccolo Ariosto and his mother was Daria Malaguzzi Valeri. In his youth, Ludovico had studied law and later took an interest in Classical literature, under the tutelage of Gregorio da Spoleto.
Following his father’s death in 1500, despite Ludovico taking on responsibility for his family and becoming captain of the fortress of Canossa, he was able to produce prose of a quality that attracted a powerful patron, Cardinal Ippolito d’Este. Ludovico was ingratiated into the d’Este household although, it is reported that the poet found his patron mean and ungrateful. In turn, the Cardinal became irritated with Ludovico’s refusal to accompany him to Hungary when he was given the bishopric of Buda and terminated this inequitable partnership.
Fortunately, Cardinal Ippolito’s brother, Alphonso Duke of Ferrara, stepp