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Hypnerotomachia Poliphili

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As the work opens, the inconsolable Poliphilo is tormented by insomnia as he thinks of his unrequited love for Polia. At last he falls asleep, and then seemingly wakes in a dark wood where his adventures begin. In a somewhat labyrinthine plot, he moves through many strange places encountering dragons, wolves, and maidens, against an ever changing backdrop of mysterious ruins, monuments, orchards, gardens and fountains. Eventually he meets a nymph who resembles Polia and with whom he falls in love. Following triumphal processions and further spectacles, the nymph reveals that she is in fact that Polia 'whom you love so well'. After a ceremony resembling marriage, they embark for Cythera in Cupid's boat. Polia then takes over the narrative, relating how Poliphilo fell in love with her when he first glimpsed her combing her hair at a window in Treviso. Not only does she reject his advances, but to fulfil a pledge in surviving the plague, she dedicates herself to a life of eternal chastity

Hypnerotomachia Poliphili UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW Part of the Library and University Services Library Home | Special Collections | Search | Collection Descriptions | Exhibitions | Course Resources Please note that these pages are from our old (pre-2010) website; the presentation of these pages may now appear outdated and may not always comply with current accessibility guidelines. GLASGOW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT Book of the Month February 2004 Hypnerotomachia Poliphili Venice: 1499 Sp Coll Hunterian Bh.2.14 Arguably the most beautiful book of the Venetian Renaissance, o

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