Giovanni Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 – 1375) was an Italian Renaissance humanist, poet and writer, contemporary of Francesco Petrarch. He grew up in Florence. Boccaccio shares with Petrarch the honor of being the earliest humanist. [1] He influenced other writers like Geoffrey Chaucer.

Boccaccio is best known for his work "the Decameron". Other works include: On Famous Women, Trattatello in laude di Dante, Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta, Corbaccio, and his vernacular poetry.

The great charm of the "Decameron" lies in the wonderful richness and variety of the adventures which he relates, in the many types of character and the close analysis of all shades of feeling and passion, from the basest to the noblest. Ibidem

Throughout the rest of his life, Boccaccio continued writing, focusing more and more on scholarly works, such as biographies and studies of classical mythology. Shortly before he died, Boccaccio studied the work of fellow Italian writer Dante and conducted a series of lectures on the Divine Comedy. [2]

See also[edit]

• Humanism
• Niccolò Machiavelli
• Dante Alighieri

External links[edit]

• Giovanni Boccaccio
• Boccaccio's Life and Works