How did Arthurian romance influence Italian works such as Orlando innamorato and Orlando furioso?

Arthurian romance significantly shaped Italian literature by providing a framework of worldly adventure and courtly sentiment that transformed traditional epic narratives. In Italy, early prose compilations of the Carolingian cycle—which focused on Charlemagne—were assimilated into the broader body of medieval French narrative fiction and infused with the spirit of Arthurian prose romance.1

This fusion is most notably realized in the works of Matteo Maria Boiardo and Ludovico Ariosto:

• Orlando innamorato: Boiardo’s poem was the first to combine the Arthurian and Carolingian traditions. While it retained the epic background of the Charlemagne cycle, it incorporated the love intrigues, enchantments, and rambling adventures characteristic of Arthurian romans d’aventure.21
• Orlando furioso: Conceived as a sequel to Boiardo’s work, Ariosto’s masterpiece further developed this synthesis. It exploits the worldly adventures and love sentiments of Arthurian romance, presenting them with sophisticated humor and irony.231

Unlike the serious, spiritual themes of the Holy Grail found in some Arthurian texts, Italian authors focused on the romantic idealism, chivalric feats, and refined love sentiments, creating a unique genre that defined the Italian Renaissance epic.13