Ludovico Ariosto
The most famous works of the Italian Renaissance by Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch were written in the 14th century, but continued to exert influence. Ludovico Ariosto ("Orlando furioso"), Baldassare Castiglione ("The Book of the Courtier") and Niccolò Machiavelli ("The Prince") were eminent writers of the Cinquecento.