Luigi Pulci in Renaissance Florence and Beyond

Luigi Pulci’s rollicking, ribald account of the exploits of the paladin Orlando and his giant friend Morgante has never failed to provoke strong reactions in its readers. Pulci’s irreverent satirical wit made his Morgante an instant bestseller following its initial publication, but also drew the ire of powerful enemies like the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, who called for copies to be burned in the ‘bonfires of vanities’ organized by his followers in Florence. The Morgante is the most important immediate precursor to the Orlando innamorato and the Orlando furioso, yet relatively little critical attention has been devoted to Pulci’s work compared to that of his successors Boiardo and Ariosto.

This volume – the first collection of critical essays dedicated to Pulci – offers a comprehensive reassessment of Pulci’s work and legacy, shedding new light on the cultural and literary traditions that Pulci draws from and subverts, the social and political forces that shaped Pulci’s work, and the breadth of Pulci’s influence from the Renaissance to the present day.