FRANCESCO COLONNA. — Dominican and writer, born in Treviso c. 1432 or 1433, died c. 1527.
From an acrostic: *Poliam frater Franciscus Columna peramavit*, he is considered the author of the singular novel *Hypnerotomachia Polyphili* (The Strife of Love in a Dream, or The Dream of Poliphilus), completed in 1467 and printed in 1499 by Manutius’ press, adorned with engravings, a masterpiece of Renaissance book art. The imaginative narrative, in a language mixing Italian and Latin, in a curious syncretism of medieval allegorism and pagan mysticism, describes Poliphilus’ ideal journey to win the beloved Polia through the realms of art and freedom, until he reaches the presence of Venus.
BIBL.: R. Zagaria, *A proposito del 'Principiatio stylo' della 'Hypnerotomachia Polyphili', e due congetture recenti*, in *Giorn. stor. della lett. it.*, 41 (1903), pp. 454-56; P. Molmenti, *Alcuni documenti concernenti l'autore della Hypnerotomachia Polyphili*, in *Arch. stor. itali.*, 5th ser., 38 (1906), pp. 291-314; R. Barraud, *Essai de bibliographie du 'Songe de Polyphile'*, in *Bibliophilia*, 15 (1913-14), pp. 21-29, 121-34, 186-95, 217-20; F. Flora, *Storia della lett. itali.*, I, 2nd ed., Milano 1948, pp. 551-57. Raffaello Prati