«Nel vulgar sermone»: Filelfo traduttore di Ovidio, tra prosa e terza rima

Originally published in 1476, Francesco Filelfo’s commentary on Petrarch’s Canzoniere is notable for its inclusion of vernacular translations of classical sources identified by the interpreter. These translations focus primarily on Ovid’s Metamorphoses, showcasing an alternation between prose (in the style of Boccaccio) and poetry, specifically Dante’s terza rima. The use of prosimetrum allows Filelfo to capture the reader’s attention and present himself as both a scholar and vernacular narrator and poet. An intertextual dialogue between ancient (Ovid) and modern (Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio) classics is thus established.