Ebook: The Dream of Poliphilo

This book is a study and psychological interpretation of the HYPNEROTOMACHIA, a work of the early Renaissance, published in Venice and ascribed to a Dominican monk, Francesco Colonna. The original work recounts that in a dream Poliphilo is guided by his beloved through a series of fantastic adventures which unfold in a legendary and heroic landscape. Polia, his guide, represents the materialistic spirit of the Renaissance, which frees him from his obsession with alchemy and the mediaeval concept of courtly love. He is led back into classical culture in search of a solution, and awakens transformed, indoctrinated with the humanism of the ancients. Mrs. Fierz-David relates these dream symbols to modern psychology, presenting a summary of the HYPNEROTOMACHIA in sections, each followed by a detailed analysis.