The masterpiece of Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533) and one of the glores of Italian renaissance poetry is the Orlando Furioso, published in three editions between 1516 and 1532. With it’s 46,000 lines, dozens of characters, and intricate plotting, may make reading it a daunting journey for some. Here I have posted some travel aids.
After a year or more spent with Orlando Furioso, I have put together some notes that might be of some interest. These postings are provisional and most certainly contain errors that I shall try to correct as I continue studying the Italian romantic epic.
Here is a link to a detailed summary of the entire poem–I mean a synopsis or paraphrase of each stanza:
Orlando-Furioso-Detailed-SummaryDownload
Here is a link to an enormous Excel spreadsheet that lays out and synchronizes major events in the timelines of the principal characters:
Orlando-Furioso-Chronological-IndexDownload
Coming soon, a list of characters, still in the editing stage.
The masterpiece of Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533) and one of the glories of Italian renaissance poetry is the Orlando Furioso, published in three editions between 1516 and 1532. Its over 35,000 lines, dozens of characters, and intricate plotting may make reading it a daunting journey for some. Fortunately, there are now two excellent verse translations, one…
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