Forme e funzioni dell'autodiegesi nella 'Relatio' di Odorico da Pordenone

The present paper aims at examining the effects of autodiegetic perspective in Odoric of Podenone's Relatio. Odoric's narrative, as well as other medieval travel accounts, such as Marco Polo's Devisement dou Monde, results from collaboration between a traveller, the Friar Minor Odoric, and a scribe, Brother William of Solagna. Nevertheless, the narration is entirely conducted in the first person. First af all, the autodiegetic narration serves a 'structural' and 'contextualizing' function, since it defines the geographical and chronological coordinates of the traveller's experience. Elsewhere the author represents himself as taking part in the action, in order to warrant the truthfulness of his stories. In some cases, the first-person narration enables the author to offer an interpretation of reality to the reader. Finally, in the last chapters of Odoric's account, the "autodiegesis" acquires exemplary value: the first-person narrator presents his own experience as an edifying example for other Christians.