thumb|Roland cleaving a rock with Durendal and blowing the [[Olifant (instrument)|olifant before death. His mission accomplished, Roland senses he is near death, and comes to a spot with "four blocks of marble", So that the weapon does not fall into enemy hands, he attempts to destroy Durendal by hitting it against a block,
Durendal was once captured, but not kept, by the young Charlemagne when he fled to Spain ascribed to the workmanship of Galant in a variant manuscript (olim Cheltenham ms.,).
According to the Chanson d'Apremont, the owner of Durendal just before Roland obtained it was a Saracen named Aumon[t], son of king Agolant,. Young Roland mounted Naimes's horse Morel without permission, and armed only with a rod, defeated Aumon, taking as spoils both the sword and the horse Veillantif. Roland was subsequently knighted by Charlemagne via the act of being girt with Durendal (cf. fig. right).
These materials were combined in the Italian prose Aspramonte by Andrea da Barberino in the late 14th to early 15th century. That work stated that after young Carlo (Charlemagne) came into possession of Durindarda (Durendal) by killing Bramante in Spain, Galafro gave it to Galiziella, who then gave it to Almonte the son of Agolante (i.e., ). Galiziella is glossed as the bastard daughter of Agolante, making her Almonte's half-sister. Durindana is eventually won by Orlandino (young Orlando).
Andrea da Barberino was a major source for later Italian writers. Boiardo's Orlando innamorato traces the sword's origin to Hector of Troy; it belonged for a while to the Amazonian queen Pantasilea, and was passed down to Almonte before Orlando gained possession of it. Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso follows Boiardo, saying it once belonged to Hector of Troy, but that it was given to Roland by Malagigi (Maugris).