Teofilo Folengo

Born near Mantua in the late 15th century, Teofilo Folengo was an Italian poet best remembered for writing under the name Merlino Coccai (or Merlinus Cocaius). He entered the Benedictine order while young and became closely associated with the lively, hybrid style known as macaronic verse, which blends Latin with vernacular speech for comic and satirical effect.

Folengo's best-known work is Baldus, an exuberant mock-epic full of adventure, parody, and playful language. He also wrote other works, including Orlandino and Chaos del Triperuno, showing a range that moved between burlesque humor, literary experiment, and more serious reflection.

Today he is often seen as one of the most original Italian writers of the Renaissance: a poet who delighted in breaking rules, poking fun at convention, and turning scholarly language into something earthy and alive.