#3334

Mentioned in 15 episodes

The Decameron

Book • 1872

Giovanni Boccaccio

The Decameron is a collection of novellas written by Giovanni Boccaccio, composed between 1349 and 1353.

The book is structured as a frame story where ten young people (seven women and three men) escape the Black Death in Florence by retreating to a villa in the countryside.

Over ten days, each member of the group tells a story, resulting in a total of 100 tales.

The stories cover a wide range of themes, including love, fortune, wit, and deception.

Boccaccio's work is notable for its humanistic perspective, emphasizing intelligence and wit over dogma, and it provides a vivid portrayal of contemporary urban society during the time of the plague.

The Decameron has had a profound influence on Renaissance literature and continues to be a significant work in Italian literature.

Mentioned by

Angelina Stanford

Thomas Asbridge

Mentioned in 15 episodes

Mentioned by

Trevor Noah

when discussing humor in the context of political violence and survival.

Sex, Comedy and Context: A Live Conversation with Trevor Noah

Mentioned by

Eleanor Janega

as a firsthand literary account set during the Black Death in Florence, explaining social reactions and stories.

The Black Death As It Happened

Mentioned by

Helen Carr

as a fictional volume giving some idea as to how people responded to the Black Death.

Plague, famine and chivalry: a human history of the 14th century

Mentioned by

Angelina Stanford

when discussing the allegorical theory of stories.

Episode 261: "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare, Acts 1 & 2

Mencionado por

Rui Tavares

como um dos primeiros conjuntos de novelas da literatura europeia.

Episódio zero: o prospecto

Mentioned by

Thomas Asbridge

when referencing a famous contemporary literary account of the Black Death in Florence.

Fear and faith: coping with the Black Death

Mentioned by Emily Butterworth when comparing Marguerite de Navarre's "Heptameron" to a similar work.

Marguerite de Navarre

Mentioned by

Eleanor Janega

when quoting a passage about the sexual appetite of women.

Mentioned by

Sarah Bakewell

as another key figure in the early development of humanism, alongside Petrarch.

231 | Sarah Bakewell on the History of Humanism

Mentioned by

Eleanor Janega

as a collection of stories including cuckolding stories and stories of beautiful women.

Medieval Beauty Standards with Kate Lister

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