Ermellina’s ring for Tedaldo

Ermellina’s ring for Tedaldo is a token of their former intimacy and the first material clue Tedaldo offers when he reveals himself to her after returning in disguise. Kept carefully by Tedaldo, it connects a private moment from their past to the scene in which Ermellina learns that the man she believed dead is alive.

Origin and Preservation

The ring was given by Ermellina to Tedaldo on the last night they had been together. He kept it with the utmost diligence during his absence. Its significance therefore rests not on any described inscription or special power, but on its known history between the two of them: Ermellina had given it to Tedaldo, and Tedaldo had preserved it.

The Recognition Scene

Tedaldo shows the ring to Ermellina after telling her that her husband is safe and that he has a secret to disclose. Asked whether she recognizes it, she identifies it as the ring she once gave Tedaldo. He then rises, removes his pilgrim’s gown and hat, and speaks in the Florentine manner. The ring opens the recognition, but does not by itself settle it: seeing him, Ermellina is initially frightened, since she had believed Tedaldo dead. Hearing his voice and looking at him further confirms who he is, and she welcomes him back.

Narrative Significance

The ring makes Tedaldo’s return legible through an object rooted in shared experience. Its careful preservation contrasts with the false account of his death: the keepsake has endured, while Ermellina’s understanding of what happened must change. In the encounter, it serves as a discreet bridge from the pilgrim’s claim to the private history that only Tedaldo and Ermellina share.