Places II Morgante Magiore, the great Italian Renaissance epic by Luigi Pulci, in the context of contemporary Florentine polities. This volume also analyzes the poem's narrative structure and demonstrates the poet's understanding of issues that were to become vital to Florentine historiography a generation later.

A classic picaresque epic detailing the thrilling exploits of Orlando, Morgante is a tale of war and of the calamities that befall the romantic hero, his fellow knights, and their sovereign, Charlemagne. After encountering the fierce Morgante, Orlando converts the giant, who then becomes his squire and trusted companion. This annotated English translation will lead to a new appreciation of Luigi Pulci's singular epic masterpiece and contribute to a reassessment of the author's influence on modern English literature.

Edited collection discusses the first historically important debate on what constitutes modern literature, which focused on two 16th century works: ORLANDO FURIOSO and GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.

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.