Matteo Maria Boiardo
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Matteo Maria Boiardo (c. 1434 – December 20, 1494), was an Italian poet, born at, or near, Scandiano (Reggio Emilia); died at Reggio.
The son of Giovanni di Feltrino and Lucia Strossi, he was of noble lineage, ranking as Count of Scandiano, with seignorial power over Arceto, Casalgrande, Gesso, and Torricella. Boiardo was an ideal example of a gifted and accomplished courtier possessing at the same time a manly heart and deep humanistic learning.
Up to the year of his marriage to Taddea Gonzaga, the daughter of the Count of Novellara (1472), he had received many marks of favour from Borso d'Este, duke of Ferrara, having been sent to meet Frederick III (1469), and afterwards visiting Pope Paul II (1471), in the train of Borso. In 1473 he joined the retinue which escorted Eleonora of Aragon, the daughter of Ferdinand I, to meet her spouse, Ercole, at Ferrara. Five years later he was invested with the governorship of Reggio, an office which he filled with noted success till his death, except for an interval (1481-86) during which he was governor of Modena.
In his youth Boiardo had been a successful imitator of Petrarca's love poems.
More serious attempts follow with the Istoria Imperiale, some adaptations of Nepos, Apuleius, Herodotus, Xenophon, etc., and his Eclogues.
Follows also a comedy, Il Timone (1487?).
He is most remembered for the grandiose poem of chivalry and romance L'Orlando Innamorato.
Rime, another work (Scandiano, 1499), was nearly forgotten when Panizzi published it in the 19th century (London, 1835).
At an unclear time Boiardo wrote a poem about a selfcomposed, unusual Tarot game, which is of relevance in the Tarot research of 15th century and in the question, how Tarot developed. A deck, which was produced according the poem (likely short after Boiardo's death) has survived partly.
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