The Decameron

What it is

The Decameron is a collection of one hundred short stories written by the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, likely composed between 1348 and 1353. The tales are told by a group of young men and women who have fled plague-stricken Florence for a country villa. Written in the Florentine vernacular rather than Latin, it is considered a landmark of early Italian prose.

Why it matters

Within the stories, Boccaccio describes Giotto, praising him for bringing painting "back to light" after it had declined for centuries, and describes his wit alongside his plain appearance. This shows how, within a generation of his death, Giotto was already remembered as a turning point in the history of art, admired as much for his personality as for his paintings. The book as a whole is also a rich document of everyday life, attitudes, and humor in fourteenth-century Italy.

Look closer

• Why might a writer like Boccaccio choose to include a painter's personality in a book of stories rather than just his art?
• What does it suggest about Giotto's reputation if people were already praising him soon after he worked?
• How might stories like this shape how later generations remembered historical figures?