Giovanni Boccaccio
A Renaissance Writer by Kyra Argeropoulos
Biography
Giovanni was born July 1st, 1313 in Certaldo, Italy (near Florence). He spent most of his life in Florence and Naples, Italy. As a boy, Boccaccio, went into business, and studied the Canon Law. He spent most of his young life being educated unhappily. He did not have patrons, he always struggled financially with is work. Boccaccio wrote poetry and stories, such as Filocolo, Caccia di Diana, and Decameron, which he was mostly known for.
Decameron
Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio, was created from about 1349 to 1352. The story has been published and can be bought, also available at the Bedford Public Library. Decameron was a very important story from the Middle Ages. He gave an in-depth description of when the Black Death hit Italy. He draws the readers attention by helping to visualize the symptoms of the disease. He exclaims how families abandoned each other in fear of catching the Black Death. He tells 100 tales in 10 days that are not as gruesome. This piece is defiantly linked to Humanism. When Italy was invaded by the horrid disease people did not just turn to God and trust they would not catch it, they left and journeyed on their own, fending for themselves.
Citation
Branca, V. "Giovanni Boccaccio." New Catholic Encyclopedia. Detriot: Gale, 2003. Biography in Context. Web. 18 Nov. 2013
Giovanni Boccaccio "Decameron [Literary Excerpt]." in Children and Youth in History, Item #177, chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/primary-sources/177 (accessed November 13, 2013). Annotated by Shona Kelly Wray.
"Giovanni Boccaccio." Gale Biography in context. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Biography in context. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.