Ludovico Ariosto

Italian poet (1474–1533)

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Lived 1474–1533, aged 59

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Wikipedia
65 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1474–1533
Aged 59

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Crafted Orlando Furioso, the 16th-century epic that trolled the chivalric romance genre while following Charlemagne's knights through endless subplots and narrative detours. Basically invented the literary shrug.

Biography

About

Ludovico Ariosto was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic Orlando Furioso (1516-1532). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato, describes the adventures of Charlemagne, Orlando, and the Franks as they battle against the Saracens with diversions into many sideplots. The poem is transformed into a satire of the chivalric tradition. Ariosto composed the poem in the ottava rima rhyme scheme and introduced narrative commentary throughout the work.

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