Boiardo

Boiardo, Matteo Maria, a celebrated Italian poet, born 1430. Trained at the university of Ferrara, and being well read, especially in Latin, Greek, and Oriental languages, he became doctor of law and philosophy, and had the reputation of being one of the most learned men of his day, as well as an accomplished courtier. Becoming a soldier, he was appointed to important posts by the Dukes of Ferrara, among others to that of governor of Reggio, which he retained till the end of his life. His most celebrated work is the Orlando Innamorato, in 69 cantos, first published in 1495. This poem marks an epoch in Italian literature as being the most striking of the Romantic poems before the time of Ariosto. Its subject is the supposed siege of Paris by the Saracens; and introduces us for the first time to the Agramants and Astolfs and other typical personages. Ariosto's continuation of the poem as Orlando Furioso and the recasting of it by Berni have had the effect of putting the original into the background. Among the other works of Boiardo are Carmen Bucolicon (1500,4to), Sonnetti e Canzoni (1499, 4to), Timon (a five-act comedy, 1500, 4to), and an Italian translation of the Golden Ass (1523, 8vo).