By
Francesco Colonna
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, literally meaning "The
Sleep-love-battle of the lover of Polia," was
written, possibly in Latin, in 1467 by Francesco Colonna, a Venetian monk. It was
published in Italian, with many woodcuts, in 1499 by the Aldine Press in
Venice. It is one of the earliest printed books, and for its time one of the
best-illustrated. It takes the reader through a phantasmagoric
land of extraordinary architecture, people and events before Poliphilus is reunited with his love. At the outset, Poliphilus, an avatar of the author, finds himself in a
dark wood, just like Dante in the Divine
Comedy. He wanders through a landscape of extraordinary structures, many in
ruins, and is attacked by a dragon from which he escapes. At last, he finds
himself in a pleasant land of lawns, flowers and watercourses. There he meets a
group of nymphs, who make fun of him at first, but then bring him to meet their
queen Eleuterylida. A magnificent feast and pageant
follow, and he meets his love Polia. They go down to
the sea-shore, where Polia waits for the boat to take
them to the Island of Love, and Poliphilus explores a
dilapidated temple nearby. At the temple is a graveyard where are buried many
people, both men and women, who died for love; their stories are told in the
inscriptions on the tombs. Reading these, Poliphilus
becomes afraid that something similar may happen to him and Polia,
and rushes back to her. However, she is sitting calmly waiting for the boat,
which soon arrives, piloted by the god Cupid. They go to the Island of Love,
where they take part in elaborate rites and meet the goddess Venus herself, and
see the tomb of her lover Adonis. Each tells the story of how they met and fell
in love, and they embrace. Poliphilus awakens to the
song of the nightingale.
