D'amore — Malattia

: His Canzoniere is a masterclass in the "failing search for self-possession" caused by obsessive love, depicting it as a "fatal multiplicity" that obstructs the mind.

Italian authors have long used malattia d'amore as a central theme to explore human vulnerability and social structures. Malattia d'amore

: It was classified as a form of melancholy . Symptoms included a pale complexion, insomnia, loss of appetite (leading to emaciation), and a "disturbed pulse rate" that spiked when the beloved's name was mentioned. : His Canzoniere is a masterclass in the

: Medieval medical texts, such as those by Avicenna, suggested the brain was "misled" into believing one specific person was more noble and desirable than all others, causing the spirit to "wander through emptiness". loss of appetite (leading to emaciation)