Matteo Maria Boiardo

Matteo Maria Boiardo was born in 1441 in Scandiano, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. He belonged to a noble family and received an excellent education in Ferrara, where he came into contact with Renaissance humanism. His life was linked to the Italian courts, especially that of Ferrara, where he served as an administrator and poet. He was also Count of Scandiano. His most famous work, "Orlando innamorato", written in ottava rima and published in 1483, is an epic poem that narrates the adventures of Orlando (the Roland of the Chanson de Roland) and other Knights of the Round Table, but with an unprecedented focus on Orlando's passionate love for Angelica. Boiardo masterfully blends the Carolingian epic tradition with the themes and chivalric spirit of the Round Table and the influence of classical mythology. The work had a profound impact on European literature, serving as the basis for Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso" and influencing numerous writers. Boiardo died in 1494, leaving his work unfinished, with the last part being completed later by other authors.