Rodomonte (or Rodamonte) is a major character in the Italian romantic

epic poems An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

Orlando innamorato ''Orlando Innamorato'' (; known in English as "''Orlando in Love''"; in Italian titled "''Orlando innamorato''" as the " I" is never capitalized) is an epic poem written by the Italian Renaissance author Matteo Maria Boiardo. The poem is a rom ...

'' by

Matteo Maria Boiardo Matteo Maria Boiardo (, ; 144019/20 December 1494) was an Italian Renaissance poet, best known for his epic poem ''Orlando innamorato''. Early life Boiardo was born in 1440,

and ''

Orlando furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'', more loosely ''Raging Roland'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was no ...

'' by

Ludovico Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic ''Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describes the ...

. He is the King of Sarza and

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

and the leader of the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

army which besieges

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

in Paris. He is in love with

Doralice Doralice is a female first name. It is often truncated to Dora or Alice in English. It may refer to: * Doralice (footballer) *Doralice in Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto, who seems to have created the name in 1516 *Doralice in story 1.4 "Teba ...

, Princess of

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

, but she elopes with his rival

Mandricardo Mandricardo is a character from the Matter of France, featured in the Italian romantic epic poems ''Orlando innamorato'' by Matteo Maria Boiardo and '' Orlando furioso'' by Ludovico Ariosto. Plot summary Saracen king of the Tartars and emper ...

. He tries to seduce Isabella but she tricks him into killing her by mistake. In remorse, Rodomonte builds a bridge in her memory and forces all who cross it to pay tribute. When the "naked and mad"

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

arrives at the bridge, it is Rodomonte, the pagan, who throws him into the river below. They both swim ashore, but Orlando who is naked and is unimpeded by heavy armor gets to the shore first. Finally, Rodomonte appears at the wedding of

Bradamante Bradamante (occasionally spelled Bradamant) is a fictional knight heroine in two epic poems of the Renaissance: ''Orlando Innamorato'' by Matteo Maria Boiardo and ''Orlando Furioso'' by Ludovico Ariosto. Since the poems exerted a wide influence ...

and

Ruggiero Ruggiero () is an Italian spelling variant of the name Ruggero, a version of the Germanic name Roger, and may refer to: As a surname *Adamo Ruggiero (born 1986), Canadian actor *Angela Ruggiero (born 1980), American hockey player *Angelo Ruggiero ...

and accuses Ruggiero of treason for converting to Christianity and abandoning the Saracen cause. The two fight a duel and Rodomonte is killed. Rodomonte's prowess is matched only by his arrogance and boasting. His name is the source of the expression

rodomontade ''Rodomontade'' () is a mass noun meaning boastful talk or behavior. The term is a reference to Rodomonte, a character in the Italian Renaissance epic poem ''Orlando innamorato'' and its sequel ''Orlando furioso''. Henry Fielding in ''History o ...

, meaning "boastful, bragging talk". Rodomonte is also synonymous with strength and courage. The King of Spain gave the appellative "Rodomonte" to Luigi Gonzaga for his extraordinary strength. Rodomonte first appears in Book 2, Canto i of ''Orlando innamorato''. Boiardo was said to be so pleased at the invention of his name that he had the church bells rung in celebration.Waley p.23 Boiardo, in Book 2, Canto xiv, says Rodomonte is the son of Ulieno, and a descendant of the Biblical giant

Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...

, from whom he inherited his massive sword, which was too heavy for an ordinary man to lift.

References

Sources

*Boiardo: ''Orlando innamorato'' ed. Giuseppe Anceschi (Garzanti,1978) *Boiardo: ''Orlando innamorato'' translated by Charles Stanley Ross, (Parlor Press, 2004). *Ariosto:''Orlando Furioso'', verse translation by

Barbara Reynolds Eva Mary Barbara Reynolds (13 June 1914 – 29 April 2015) was an English scholar of Italian Studies, lexicographer and translator. She wrote and edited several books concerning Dorothy Sayers and was president of the Dorothy L. Sayers Soci ...

in two volumes (Penguin Classics, 1975). Part one (cantos 1–23) ; part two (cantos 24–46) *Ariosto: ''Orlando Furioso'' ed. Marcello Turchi (Garzanti, 1974) *Ariosto: ''Orlando Furioso: A Selection'' ed. Pamela Waley (Manchester University Press, 1975) {{Orlando Furioso Fictional characters introduced in the 15th century Matter of France Characters in Orlando Innamorato and Orlando Furioso Legendary Arab people