Orlando Furioso

Orlando Furioso (1516)
by Ludovico Ariosto, translated by William Stewart Rose

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Orlando furioso (The Frenzy of Orlando, more literally Mad Orlando; in Italian furioso is seldom capitalized) is an Italian romantic epic 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. The action takes place against the background of the war between Charlemagne and his Christian paladins, and the Saracen army which is attempting to invade Europe. However, Ariosto has little concern for historical or geographical accuracy, and the poem wanders at will from Japan to the Hebrides, as well as including many fantastical and magical elements, such as a trip to the moon and an array of fantastical creatures including a gigantic sea monster called the orc and the hippogriff. There have been several verse translations of Orlando Furioso into English. William Stewart Rose produced an eight volume translation beginning publication in 1823 and ending in 1831.Warning: template has been deprecated.

Ludovico Ariosto185879Orlando Furioso1516William Stewart Rose

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Introduction to Orlando Furioso

Orlando Furioso

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