Early Life

 Boccaccio was born in 1313 to an unknown

woman and Boccaccino di Chellino in
Tuscany.
 He grew up in Florence, and was dissatisfied
with his life there, largely because of his
father’s pressure to engage in business
 His father, a merchant, did not approve of his
interest in literature and sent him to learn
business in Naples
Time In Naples
 While in Naples, Boccaccio observed the
aristocracy and social structure that revolved
around chivalry and feudalism
 He took up the study of canon law and became
acquainted with the intellectuals
 In Naples he found inspiration for what would
soon be one of his beloved characters, Fiammeta.
It is believed her name was Maria, and that she
was the daughter of King Robert and a count of
Aquino-though there is no proof that she existed
Early Writings
 In 1340 Boccaccio’s father called him back to
Florence because of his recent bankruptcy
 Boccacio had already compiled works in Naples
to bring back with him to Florence, some of the
more notable pieces are: Il filocolo(“The Love
Afflicted”), El filostrato(“The Love Struck), and
Teseida.
 These works revolved around themes of chivalry
and love, though he added his own twist to
writing that reflected his own observations and
insights
Boccaccio’s Style
 Boccaccio sought to present the feudal era as
ideal and glorious by a display of learning and
rhetorical embellishments
 He also popularized ottavarima, the verse
meter used by minstrels, which would become
the preffered method of Italian verse
 The subject of medieval life was not
revolutionary, but it is the way Boccaccio
treated his characters, that was different
 In Federigo’s Falcon, a tale from Boccaccio’s
Decameron, a man strives with fortune, but
learns to overcome the superficiality, and
becomes truly noble. This concept of accepting
consequences, circumstances, obstacles and
achieving a a virtuous life is entirely humanistic,
and characteristic of Boccaccio
 His unique approach to literature generated
interest in his works and his writing style, in
particular, the Decameron sparked excitement
The Decameron“Ten Days Work”
 Written in 1358, Boccaccio narrates the story of
seven women and three men who live in a
country villa for ten days after escaping the
plague in Florence
 The individuals decide that they will alternate as
king or queen and the ruler shall decide their
activities for the day, one of these activities
being storytelling
 These stories amount to 100 in all, and each story
ends with a conzone- a song. These songs make
up some of Boccaccio’s finest lyric poetry
The Decameron“Ten Days Work”
 The dominant theme in the work reflects his
observations of the refined bourgeoisie, and
he weaves many moral lessons concerning
fidelity, humility, avarice, and compassion
 This particular work influenced writers from
different regions and eras.
Boccaccio’s Influence
 Shakespeare, and Geoffrey Chaucer are among
the many writers to have borrowed Boccaccio’s
style
 Poets George Elliot, Alfred Lord Tennyson, John
Keats, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow have all
written poems around the Decameron
 19th-century critic Francesco De Sanctis
regarded the Decameron as a “Human Comedy”,
and Boccaccio as the pioneer of a new moral
order that would supersede the middle ages
Later Life And Death
 In 1370 Boccaccio took a final trip to Naples,
and then retired in Certaldo
 He became troubled by obesity, scabies, and high
fevers
 Also in a state of financial trouble, and after
learning of the death of his friend, the poet
Petrarch, Boccaccio wrote poems with a more
somber and critical tone
 He died in 1375 at his home in Certaldo