A poem written by Ludovico Ariosto while serving Duke Alfonso I d'Este of Ferrara, first published in 1516. The poem is a chivalric epic that centers on the figure of Charlemagne and borrows from Arthurian legend to celebrate the d'Este dynasty. Orlando is the hero who falls in love with the Cathayan princess Angelica and converts the pagan prince Ruggiero to Christianity. Ruggiero marries Bradamante and together they establish the d'Este line. The poem gained tremendous popularity soon after its publication and was often pitted against Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata in debates related to the multiple, simultaneous scenes of epic poetry versus the use of only one dominant theme. Orlando Furioso became a source for painting, as Dosso Dossi's Melissa (1520s), Giovanni Lanfranco's Norandino and Lucina Overcome by the Ogre (c. 1624; both Rome, Galleria Borghese), and Peter Paul Rubens' Angelica and the Hermit (1626-1628; Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum) testify.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.