Torquato Tasso (1544 - 1595) was an Italian poet. He was born in Sorrento and is chiefly known for his epic poem 'Gerusalemme Liberata' (Jerusalem Delivered) of 1575. This work describes the capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade by Godfrey of Bouillon.
The poem includes a number of romantic encounters between Christians and pagans, notably those between Rinaldo and Armida, and Tancred and Erminia which have provided material for painters.