Armida by Cecco Bravo in the words of Torquato Tasso
Video in Italian | Love, anger and despair of the beautiful princess painted at the Uffizi
Dangerous beauty ...
Imagine the most beautiful woman ever appeared on the earth!
She is Muslim Princess Armida. She has diaphanous skin, golden hair, a rose mouth, mesmerizing eyes.
Her beauty is an irresistible weapon she is determined to use against the Christian Crusaders.
So, armed just with her beauty, Armida was sent by her uncle to distract their enemies with love affairs.
Beautiful Armida in disguise thus conquered the enemy army. She met Rinaldo. She seduced him and fell in love with him. Yet Rinaldo is Christian and Armida is Muslim...
The two fled away to live their passion. Until young Rinaldo was called back to the battlefield by his companions. So, Armida remained alone, seduced and abandoned...
Then her beauty turned into anger, wish for revenge, fierce punishment.
"Black clouds the skies with horrid darkness fill, / And pale for dread became the eclipsed sun, / You might have heard how through the palace wide, / Some spirits howled, some barked, some hissed, some cried" (Torquato Tasso, Jerusalem Delivered, 1581).
Two minutes of "Painted Tales": Armida by Cecco Bravo described through the original verses by Torquato Tasso and interpreted by Simone Rovida.
