Giovanni Boccaccio was an important Renaissance writer. He is remembered in particular for his greatest work The Decameron. His prose and poetry inspired many English writers, including Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare.
The Decameron led to a revolution in Italian literature. It's been said that the book's framework for the stories most likely influenced Geoffrey Chaucer's schemes for The Canterbury Tales.
Early Life of Giovanni Boccaccio
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), was the son of a wealthy merchant in Florence, Italy. He studied law at Naples, but his real interest was in writing. As a young man he entered the court of King Robert of Anjou in western France. There he fell in love with a beautiful noblewoman. From then on this lady inspired his writings. She constantly appeared as the character Fiammetta.
At the age of 27, his father's business failed. Bocccaccio was recalled to Florence. At the time a bubonic plague, known as the "Black Death," spread over Europe and approached Italy. This inspired him to write the prose work for which he has been famous for, The Decameron, which means "ten days's work."
Boccaccio's Masterpiece The Decameron
The Decameron is regarded as one of the earliest works of fiction. Its setting is a villa outside Florence, where a group of young people have gathered to escape the plague-stricken place for the countryside. The book consists of 100 stories told by members of the group, ten young people, over a period of ten days. The principal character is Fiammetta. These stories deal mainly with every aspect of love, from the most pure of sexuality to the most down-to-earth of bodily functions.
Boccaccio the Poet
Boccaccio also wrote fine poetry. Encouraged by his friend Petrarch, Boccaccio developed his scholarly interest in the work of ancient Greek and Roman writers, and in particular, of the great Italian poet, Dante Alighieri.
Boccaccio the Scholar
Giovanni Boccaccio, besides being an accomplished author, was a scholar who led the Renaissance revival of classical learning. He wrote Latin treatises including On Famous Women and On the Genealogies of the Gentile Gods. He died at the age of c.62.
Books by Boccaccio
- Filostrato, c.1338
- Fiammetta, 1343
- The Nymph of Fiesole, 1345
- The Decameron, 1348-1353
- The Genealogy of the Gentile Gods, c.1350-1360
- Concerning Mountains, c.1355-1374
- Concerning Famous Women, c.1360-1374
- Life of Dante, 1362
Sources:
- Clark, John, Ed. Illustrated Biographical Dictionary. London: Chancellor Press, 1978.
- Goring, Rosemary, Ed. Larousse Dictionary of Writers. New York: Larousse, 1994.
- Payne, Tom. The A-Z of Great Writers. London: Carlton, 1997.
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