Matteo Maria Boiardo
Matteo Maria Boiardo (1440 or 1441–1494) was a prominent figure in the Italian Renaissance, recognized as a poet, courtier, soldier, and scholar. Born near Reggio nell'Emilia, he received his education at the University of Ferrara and later served as the governor of Reggio. Boiardo was known for his literary contributions to the court of Duke Hercules d'Este in Ferrara, where he was celebrated for his poetic works, notably earning the title of the "Italian Homer."
His major literary achievement is the verse romance *Orlando innamorato*, which laid the groundwork for Ludovico Ariosto's more famous *Orlando furioso*. Boiardo's writing is characterized by its rich characterization and a blend of irony and farce, reflecting a cynical view of the courtly love tradition. Additionally, he produced a collection of sonnets and eclogues, drawing inspiration from classical authors, which highlights his scholarly expertise in Latin and Greek. Although Boiardo's work gained more recognition in later years, especially through rediscovered manuscripts, his influence remains significant in the history of Italian literature. His life and writings exemplify the culture and values of the Italian nobility during the fifteenth century.
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Subject Terms
Matteo Maria Boiardo
Italian poet
- Born: May, 1440 or 1441
- Birthplace: Scandiano, Papal States (now in Italy)
- Died: December 19, 1494
- Place of death: Reggio nell' Emilia, Papal States (now in Italy)
Biography
Matteo Maria Boiardo (boh-YAHR-doh), count of Scandiano, was the essence of Italian nobility, a successful courtier, soldier, and scholar. Born near Reggio nell’ Emilia in 1440 or 1441, he found a patron in a wealthy family and was educated at the University of Ferrara. In 1478, he was appointed governor of Reggio. He held several high military posts and took part in the wars against the Venetians. Boiardo did most of his writing to amuse the court of Duke Hercules d’Este at Ferrara, and he was acclaimed as the “Italian Homer.”
The primary influence on Boiardo’s Italian sonnets and lyrics, the Amorum Liber, or book of loves, was the writing of the ancients, chiefly Herodotus and Apuleius. A skilled scholar in Latin and Greek, he wrote several eclogues in Latin as well as a comedy, Timone, in five acts. His major work was the Orlando innamorato, of which he wrote only the first two books, the rest being written by Niccolo degli Agostini after Boiardo’s death in 1494. Boiardo’s verse romance—apparently adapted from a popular romance sung by cantastorie, or story-singers, of the time—is outstanding in early Italian literature and has a richness of characterization and a variety of scene that provided a basis for the more famous Orlando furioso of Ludovico Ariosto. Boiardo’s poem is remarkably ironic and farcical; it is his own rather cynical treatment of the romance and its courtly love tradition. It is nonetheless quite humorous and fresh, if rough in comparison to the more stately Ariosto.
Ariosto’s work, written in puristic Tuscan tradition, became the more popular after its appearance in 1515. In 1541, Francesco Berni’s revised edition of Orlando innamorato was better received. Some modern critics have claimed that Boiardo’s poem is superior to Ariosto’s, a judgment made possible by the discovery of Boiardo’s manuscripts in the nineteenth century. In any event, the poem, along with Boiardo’s many sonnets and shorter poems, is part of the grand tradition of fifteenth century poetry, as was his courtly life a model of the existence of the fifteenth century Italian nobleman.
Bibliography
Cavallo, Jo Ann. Boiardo’s “Orlando innamorato”: An Ethics of Desire. Cranbury, N.J.: Associated University Presses, 1993.
Cavallo, Jo Ann, and Charles Ross, eds. Fortune and Romance: Boiardo in America. Tempe, Ariz.: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1998.
Edwards, E. W. The “Orlando furioso” and Its Predecessor. 1924. Reprint. Cambridge, England: Norwood, 1978.
Kisacky, Julia M. Magic in Boiardo and Ariosto. New York: Peter Lang, 2000.
Looney, Dennis. Compromising the Classics: Romance Epic Narrative in the Italian Renaissance. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1996.
Marinelli, Peter. Ariosto and Boiardo: The Origins of “Orlando furioso.” Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987.
Ross, Charles. “Justifying Violence: Bioardo’s Castle Cruel.” Philological Quarterly 73, no. 1 (1994).
Tommaso, Andrea di. Structure and Ideology in Boiardo’s “Orlando innamorato.” Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1972.
Tommaso, Andrea di, ed. and trans. Amorum Libri: The Lyric Poems of Matteo Maria Boiardo. Binghamton, N.Y.: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1993.