Florence as the New Jerusalem in Ugolino Verino’s Carlias

Abstract

Ugolino Verino (1438–1516) wrote an impressive Latin epic poem on Charlemagne, the Carlias. In this paper, both internal and contextual arguments are put forth in support of the interpretation of Florence as the New Jerusalem in this poem, a hypothesis already made by the first (and only) modern editor of the work. First, the internal arguments come from an analysis of the passage in which the refoundation of Florence takes place and from the structure of the entire composition, a clearly eschatological narrative. Then, the similarities and debts with relevant previous and contemporary apocalyptic literature on the Second Charlemagne are pointed out.