Giovanni Boccaccio

Date of Birth: 1313

Zodiac Sign: Unknown

Date of Death: 21 December 1375

Biography

Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in 1313 in Certaldo or Florence, he is best known for his work “The Decameron,” a collection of 100 tales told by ten young people sheltering in a secluded villa outside Florence to escape the Black Death. Boccaccio’s works had a significant influence on Italian and European literature and his prose style set the standard for Italian narrative prose. He also wrote a number of other important works including “On Famous Women,” a series of biographies of historical and mythological women, and “Genealogia Deorum Gentilium,” a scholarly work on classical mythology. Boccaccio’s life was marked by his close friendship with Petrarch, another giant of Italian literature, and his role in the early stages of the Renaissance humanist movement.

5 Interesting Facts about Giovanni Boccaccio

1. Giovanni Boccaccio was originally intended for a career in commerce and studied canon law before turning to literature.

2. “The Decameron” was written between 1348 and 1353 and remains one of the most important and influential works of Western literature.

3. Boccaccio was one of the first writers to use the vernacular, or everyday language of the people, rather than Latin, in his literary works.

4. He was deeply influenced by his friendship with Petrarch, who is often credited with initiating the Renaissance humanist movement.

5. Boccaccio’s work on classical mythology, “Genealogia Deorum Gentilium,” was a major reference work on mythology for over 400 years.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Giovanni Boccaccio

1. “While farmers generally allow one rooster for ten hens, ten men are scarcely sufficient to service one woman.”

2. “Human it is to have compassion on the unhappy.”

3. “Heaven would indeed be heaven if lovers were there permitted as much enjoyment as they had experienced on earth.”

4. “You must know that it is no easy thing to be a man of worth and fame unless one has got a little bit of luck.”

5. “In adversity it is easy to despise life; he is truly brave who can endure a wretched life.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Giovanni Boccaccio did not accumulate significant wealth and his net worth is not well-documented. As an author and scholar in the 14th century, his wealth was modest by contemporary standards.