7 most important WORKS by Giovanni BOCCACCIO

In today's class we are going to talk about most important works of Giovanni Boccacio (1313-1375), one of the fathers of the Humanism and Renaissance literature along with Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarca.

Boccacio, from a very young age, barely twenty years old, began to write. Bequeathing us around a score of works written in Latin and Italian, that are usually divided between works of youth and maturity. Among all, the following stand out: Hunting for Diana (1334), The Teseida (1339-1341), Nymphal Fiesolano (1344-1346), Decameron(1348), The Corbacho (1354), Deorum Gentillium Genealogy (1355) or By Claris Mulieribus (1361-1362).

If you want to learn more about these works by Boccacio, keep reading because we explain them to you in a PROFESSOR. Let's get started!

Giovanni Boccacio was born in 1313 in the city of Florence, in the bosom of a wealthy family on the part of his father, Boccaccino di Chillin, an important merchant from the city. Reason why, from a very young age, he received a very careful education by a personal tutor (Giovanni Muzzuoli).

However, at the age of thirteen he began working in the bank of Naples (his father was the director), but due to little interest in banking matters, he began to study law in Naples. Studies that he did not finish. In 1330, his father introduced him to the Neapolitan court, which allowed him to come into contact with great scholars.

Shortly before the death of his father, he settled again in the city of Florence and, it was at this time, when he developed all his literary work, was plague witness and when he got involved with Petrarch. Finally, he died in 1375 in retirement at his home in Florence.

On the other hand, it should be noted that our protagonist's life took place in one of the most important and prosperous cities of Italy in the 14th century, Florence:

1. An independent city-state: Self-government with its own republican institutions.
2. Economically very buoyant: With economic independence in the textile trade, in the issuance of own bonds and letters of credit.

Boccacio's literary legacy is estimated at around twenty works written in verse, prose, Latin, and Italian. Dividing between works of maturity and works of youth.

Hunting for Diana, 1334 (poetry in Italian. Youth Work)

East love poem was written by Boccacio when he was barely twenty-one years old, during his stay at the court of the King of Naples and inspired by his love for Fiammetta (Maria de Aquino, daughter of the king). It is written in triplets and composed of eighteen songs / sonnets, influenced by Alexandrian poetry.

In this he tells us how the goddess Diana she organizes a hunt for the most beautiful ladies of the court and as before the refusal of all of them (led by Fiammetta) to submit to the vow of chastity, she invokes herself to Venus and turns all animals into beautiful youngsters. Finally, the poem ends as a song to the earthly and redeeming love.

The Teseida, 1339-1341 (poetry in Italian. Youth Work)

This is another of Boccacio's most important Works. A epic poem that narrates the warlike events between the Greek hero Theseus (representing the city of Thebes) and the Amazon, as well as, the confrontation of two Theban soldiers for the love of Emilia, sister of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons and wife of Theseus. This poem is written in royal octaves and is composed of twelve songs / sonnets.

Nymphale Fiesolano, 1344-1346 (prose in Italian. Youth Work)

This fable, so mythological explains the origin of the name of Italian rivers Africo and Mensola, which is found in the unfortunate relationship between the Africo shepherd and the nymph Mensola, since both end up committing suicide in the rivers that bear their names.

Decameron, 1348-1353 (prose in Italian. Work of maturity)

This work is considered as his first mature work and the most important of him, since it is considered the first construction siteRenaissance. In it, he narrates how, in the midst of the plague, a group of ten people (three young people and seven women) take refuge in a village to try to escape the plague.

In this town, they will spend approximately fourteen days and in order to cope with the misfortune they decide to tell stories every Friday and Saturday, for a total of ten. Hence, the name Decamerón.

The Corbacho, 1354 (prose in Italian. Work of maturity)

This story inserts us in a debate of character moralistic, satirical and misogynistic. And it is that, this work is considered as a revenge from our protagonist to a woman who rejected him. In this way, here Boccaccio tells us how he arrived at labyrinth of love, a place where all the men who have been deceived by women end up.

Casibus Virorum Ilustrium (1335-1373) and By Claris Mulieribus, 1361-1362 (prose in Latin. Work of maturity)

Both are also more important works by Boccacio. In these two books, Boccacio tells us the biographies of great historical figures. The first is dedicated to illustrious men and the second to women. In both cases, he highlights the idea in which he tries to demonstrate the transience of everything mundane and material.

Deorum Gentillium Genealogy, 1355 (prose in Latin. Work of maturity)

Genealogy of the pagan gods in a work consisting of fifteen books in which Boccacio makes a philosophical and allegorical interpretation of the classical mythology.