Summary
Written by Giovanni Boccaccio in the 14th century, The Decameron is one of the most influential and enduring works of early Italian literature. Set in Florence against the backdrop of the Black Death, this collection of 100 tales told by 10 young narrators over 10 days continues to captivate readers with its wit, sensuality, and insightful portraits of both medieval Italian society and human nature. The often irreverent stories in The Decameron cover a wide range of themes, including love, fortune, human cleverness, and human folly. With its earthy realism and celebration of human sexuality, the book marked a departure from the idealized world of chivalric romance. Boccaccio's direct and vivid prose style, rich with dialogue and realistic details, was groundbreaking for its time and influenced countless later writers, starting with Chaucer and Shakespeare.
Plot
Set in Italy during the time of the Black Death, The Decameron tells the story of a group of ten young people—seven women and three men—who flee plague-ridden Florence for a two-week respite at a villa in the countryside. To pass the time in the evenings, they decide that each person will tell one story per night for 10 nights, resulting in a total of 100 tales.
The 10 characters take turns being appointed as king or queen for the day, responsible for choosing the theme of that day's stories. Themes include fortune and misfortune, clever replies, tricks played on others, virtue, and love, both tragic and happy. One character, Dioneo, is given special permission to tell any story he wishes each day due to his wit.
The 100 stories cover a wide range of subjects and tones, from bawdy tales mocking the lust of clergy members to romantic adventures of traveling merchants. Recurring elements include tensions between social classes, the resourcefulness of women, and the fickleness of fate.
Interspersed between the stories are descriptions of the group's other daily activities at the villa, including singing, dancing, and relaxing in the gardens. These framing sections help maintain the premise of the characters telling stories to each other and create an overarching narrative. By the end of the two weeks, the plague has subsided enough for the 10 to return to Florence, marking an end to their storytelling.
Themes
Love and sexuality in a variety of forms
Fortune, fate, and chance
Wit, trickery, and practical jokes
The power dynamics between men and women
Critique of religious hypocrisy
The contrast between city and country life
Human nature and morality
Setting
Set in 14th-century Italy during the Black Death, The Decameron takes place primarily in and around Florence. The framing narrative begins in plague-stricken Florence, where 10 young nobles decide to flee the ravages of the disease by retreating to a secluded villa in the countryside of Fiesole, just outside the city.
At the villa, the 10 characters—seven women and three men—shelter for two weeks to escape the epidemic. To pass the time, they agree to each tell one story every evening, except for holy days and one day per week reserved for chores. This results in 10 days of storytelling over the course of their two-week stay, with each person telling a total of 10 stories.
Within this specific framework, the 100 individual tales of The Decameron span a wide range of settings across Europe and beyond. Many are set in Italy, particularly Florence, but others take place in England, France, and even the Middle East. The time periods of the stories also vary, though most are set in Boccaccio's own 14th century or the recent past.
Characters
Pampinea: The eldest of the seven young women storytellers. She proposes that the group leave Florence to escape the plague and is elected queen on the first day. Pampinea is wise, mature and takes charge as a natural leader of the group. She sets the structure for the storytelling that will occupy their time in the countryside.
Fiammetta: One of the seven young women. Beautiful and vivacious, Fiammetta tells witty and sometimes bawdy tales, often with themes of love and desire. Her name means “little flame,” hinting at her passionate nature.
Filomena: Another of the seven young women. She is eloquent and rational, often telling moralistic tales or stories that highlight wisdom and virtue. Filomena acts as a voice of reason within the group.
Panfilo: One of the three young men storytellers. His name means “all-loving,” and he often tells romantic tales with happy endings. Panfilo is courteous and well-mannered, embodying the ideal Renaissance gentleman.
Dioneo: The youngest and most rebellious of the three men. Witty and irreverent, Dioneo tells the most scandalous stories, often mocking religious figures. He is granted special permission to tell the last tale each day on the topic of his choice.
Elissa: One of the seven young women. She is melancholic and reserved, often telling tragic love stories or tales with unhappy endings.
Emilia: Another of the seven young women. She is practical and down-to-earth, telling stories that often have a moral lesson or practical wisdom.
Quick facts
The Decameron contains 100 tales told over 10 days by 10 young people sheltering from the Black Death plague.
The book’s title comes from Greek, meaning “ten-day event."
The Decameron was likely written between 1348 and 1353, in the aftermath of the Black Death that devastated Florence.
Many of the stories are bawdy and satirical, often mocking the Catholic Church and clergy.
The book's frank treatment of sexuality led it to be banned and censored for centuries.
The Decameron is considered one of the most important works of early Italian prose and helped establish the Tuscan dialect as the standard for Italian literature.
Chaucer was heavily influenced by The Decameron when writing The Canterbury Tales.
The framing story of people sheltering from a plague has inspired many later works, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boccaccio borrowed many of the story plots from earlier sources but updated them to 14th-century settings.
Several of the tales served as inspiration for later works by Shakespeare, Molière, Lessing, and others.
The Decameron famously inspired Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1971 film, starring Franco Citti and Ninetto Davoli—an earthy, humorous, and erotic adaptation for modern audiences.
About the Author
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) was one of the most influential Italian authors of the 14th century and a key figure in the early Renaissance. Born in Florence, he spent his youth in Naples where he began his literary career, writing poems and prose in the Italian vernacular. He later returned to Florence, where he produced his most famous work, The Decameron, a collection of 100 tales framed as stories told by a group of young people sheltering from the Black Death.
In addition to his creative works, Boccaccio was an important humanist scholar. He promoted the study of classical Greek literature, encouraged translations of ancient texts, and produced scholarly works such as On Famous Women and Genealogy of the Pagan Gods. He also played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the legacy of Dante Alighieri, copying manuscripts of the Divine Comedy and writing a biography of the poet.
Boccaccio's life and career were shaped by the tumultuous events of 14th-century Italy, including political upheavals in Florence and the devastation of the Black Death. Despite these challenges, he remained prolific until his final years, revising earlier works and producing new scholarship. Today, Boccaccio is remembered as one of the “Three Crowns” of Italian literature, alongside Dante and Petrarch. Marked by masterful prose, sharp wit, and realistic dialogue, his writing style had a profound influence on not only Italian literature but also on writers across Europe, including Geoffrey Chaucer, Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and William Shakespeare.
