Orlando Furioso

Orlando furioso

Ludovico AriostoAD 1474–1533

A great book. First published AD 1516, written in Italian

Orlando furioso is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form until 1532. Orlando furioso is a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's unfinished romance Orlando innamorato. In its historical setting and characters, it shares some features with the Old French La Chanson de Roland of the eleventh century, which tells of the death of Roland. The story is also a chivalric romance which stemmed from a tradition beginning in the Late Middle Ages and continuing in popularity in the 16th century and well into the 17th.