Rodomonte (or Rodamonte) is a major character in the Italian romantic epic poems '' Orlando innamorato'' by Matteo Maria Boiardo 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 ...

'' 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 th ...

. He is the King of Sarza and Algiers 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 P ...

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 Em ...

in Paris. He is in love with Doralice, Princess of

Granada Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...

, but she elopes with his rival Mandricardo. 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 r ...

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 and

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

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, 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 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