Eros e gioco degli scacchi: note sulla lirica cinquecentesca

This paper deals with the association between the idea of love and the game of chess in some little known lyric texts of the 16th century, starting with Matteo Bandello’s sonnet Spesso madonna a scacchi far m’invita. Focusing on the main linguistic and thematic choices, the essay will cast light on the relationship between these lyric texts and some other Italian literary works related to the game of chess and composed between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.