Angelica (character)

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Ruggiero Rescuing Angelica by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - Roger Delivering Angelica.jpg
Ruggiero Rescuing Angelica by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Angelica is a princess in the epic poem Orlando innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo. She reappears in the saga's continuation, Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto, and in various later works based on the two original Orlando pieces. [1] The narratives are part of the Matter of France, a cycle of legendary history stories based on the adventures of Charlemagne and his paladins.

Contents

Orlando Innamorato

In Orlando Innamorato, Angelica is introduced as the daughter of Galafrone, the king of "Cathay" or "India". Cathay commonly refers to China, not India, but this seeming inconsistency can be resolved: Boiardo considered Cathay to be a city, and "Cathay was a city in India inferior or Serica" according to the Mappamondo Borgiano. [2] [3] [4] [lower-alpha 1] She comes to Charlemagne's court with her brother Argalia (who assumes the identity of a knight named Uberto dal Leòne). [6] All the knights are smitten with her, especially the cousins Orlando (Roland) and Rinaldo (Renaud), but the protective Argalia will only allow her to marry a man who can best him in a joust. When Argalia eventually falls to the Saracen knight Ferraù, Orlando and Rinaldo threaten to destroy each other over her. As the Saracens lay siege to Duke Naimon's estate, Charlemagne promises Angelica's hand to whichever cousin fights best for him. The battle is lost, however, and the characters go on to further adventure: Rinaldo and Angelica drink from magic fountains twice, each time leaving one madly in love and the other indifferent, while Orlando loses his wits to his passion.

Orlando Furioso

Illustration of Ruggiero rescuing Angelica for Orlando Furioso by Gustave Dore, 19th century Orlando Furioso 20.jpg
Illustration of Ruggiero rescuing Angelica for Orlando Furioso by Gustave Doré, 19th century

Boiardo left his epic unfinished, but the action was taken up in Orlando furioso. Angelica is continually sought throughout the world by Orlando, Rinaldo, and the best knights from various countries. She eventually finds herself naked and chained to a rock in the sea, offered as a sacrifice to a sea monster called the orc (a situation identical to the perils of Andromeda). She is rescued by the African knight Ruggiero, who gives her a ring of invisibility. Later, pursued by the lovelorn Orlando, she uses the ring and vanishes. She ultimately falls in love with an ordinary North African soldier named Medoro, who she nurses back to health, and returns with him to Cathay. Orlando goes mad when he learns of their marriage from a shepherd and his wife. He requires the aid of his cousin Astolpho to recover his senses. Cured entirely of his love, Orlando stops his search for Angelica, and she no longer appears in the poem.

Notes

  1. Galafrone's realm is vast, with Cathay as its capital city. Albraca a fortress, a day's journey west. [5]

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Brunello is a character in the Italian romantic epics Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. Brunello is a dwarf and a cunning thief who works for the Saracen army of King Agramante. He first appears in the second book of Orlando Innamorato where Agramante intends to invade Europe and defeat Emperor Charlemagne. He has been told he has no chance of success unless he has the young warrior Ruggiero on his side, but Ruggiero has been hidden in a secret garden by the wizard Atlante and the only way to reach him is by using the magic ring belonging to Princess Angelica. Brunello undertakes to steal it and sets off for the fortress of Albracca where he not only manages to snatch the ring but also robs King Sacripante of his horse and the female warrior Marfisa of her sword. Marfisa sets off in pursuit but Brunello evades her and gives the ring to Agramante, who rewards him with a kingdom. The Saracens find Ruggiero at Mount Carena where they see him behind a wall of glass. However, the wall is too steep and slippery to climb, so Brunello suggests they trick Ruggiero out. He gets them to play war games in the plain beneath the mountain. Ruggiero, with his inherent love of combat, cannot resist and despite Atlante's pleas he leaves the garden and begs Brunello for his horse and armor. Brunello only agrees if he will join their expedition against France, to which Ruggiero happily consents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marfisa</span> Fictional character

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Sacripante is a character in the Italian romantic epics Orlando innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. Sacripante is the King of Circassia and one of the leading Saracen knights. He is passionately in love with Angelica and fights to defend her when she is besieged in the fortress of Albracca. His horse Frontino is stolen from underneath him by the cunning thief Brunello. In Orlando furioso he offers to become the wandering Angelica's protector but she evades him.

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Agolant or Agolante is a fictional character in Medieval and Renaissance romantic epics dealing with the Matter of France, including Orlando innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. He is a Saracen king from Africa.

Albracca is a major city of Cathay in the Italian romantic epics Orlando innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. In the story it is the walled city and fortress where Angelica and the knights she has befriended make their stand when attacked by Agrican, emperor of Tartary.

La Spagna, also called La Spagna in rima, is a 14th-century Italian epic attributed to the Florentine Sostegno di Zanobi and likely composed between 1350 and 1360. The poem is in ottava rima, composed of 40 cantos, each of about 40 octaves. The work is an adaptation of the story of Charlemagne's battles in Spain and the adventures of his nephew, the paladin Orlando (Roland), including the tale of his mortal duel with Ferraguto and his ultimate death at Roncesvalles.

<i>Angelica and the Hermit</i> Painting by Peter Paul Rubens

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Agrican is a king of Mongolia and emperor of Tartary who is a major character in the Italian chivalric poem Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandricardo</span>

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References

Citations
  1. "Angelica". britannica.com. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  2. Ross 2004 , pp. 603–4 (notes on "Cathay")
  3. Paratico, Angelo (29 October 2016). "A Chinese Beauty in a Renaissance Poem at the time of Leonardo Da Vinci". Gingko. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018. citing Ponte, Givovanni
  4. Ponte, Giovanni (1972). La personalità e l'opera del Boiardo. Tilgher-Genova.
  5. Cavallo 2013, p. 47, p. 49 and notes 15, 16 (on p. 283).
  6. Ross 2004 (tr.), Orlando in Love, I.i. and p. 671. note to I.i.25.
Bibliography