This article contains short summaries of the one hundred stories in Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron.
Introduction
In the book's introduction, Boccaccio begins with a graphic description of the Black Death and its devastating effects on the population of Florence. He then introduces ten young Florentines, seven women and three men, referred to as the Brigata.Members of the Brigata They gather at the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella and together decide to escape the plague by leaving the city to stay in a villa in the countryside. The ten are given fictional names as Boccaccio does not wish to reveal their true identities. The seven women are Pampinea, Fiammetta, Filomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Elissa and Neifile. The three men are Panfilo, Filostrato and Dioneo. Each agrees to tell one story each day for ten days and to appoint one of their number each day as King or Queen to direct the activities of the day, including the afternoon storytelling sessions. The stories are told in the gardens of the two villas that the company stays at, located a few miles outside the city, as well as one day (the seventh) in a nearby natural area known as the Valley of the Ladies.
First day Under the rule of Pampinea, the first day of story-telling is open topic. Although there is no assigned theme of the tales this first day, six deal with one person censuring another and four are satires of the Catholic Church.
First tale (I, 1) This story is told by Panfilo.
Ciappelletto, a notoriously wicked man, travels on business to Burgundy, where he is not known, as a favor to the merchant Musciatto Franzesi. Once there, he falls terminally ill. The two Florentine brothers who were housing him during his stay bring a friar from a nearby convent to hear his confession and give him his last rites. Ciappelletto proceeds to tell the friar lies about his life that make him seem very pure, while pretending to be terribly ashamed of what seem minor sins. He is completely believed by the friar, who preaches a sermon on his life after he passes away. The townspeople who hear the sermon believe that he was a holy man, and revere Ciappelletto as a saint long after his death.
This first tale ridicules the then-current practice of the Roman Catholic Church of canonization by the people. The earliest source of this story is found in chapter twenty-three of Saint Sulpicius Severus's biography of Saint Martin of Tours. The biography dates from around 400 AD.
Second tale (I, 2) This story is told by Neifile.
Abraham, a Jew of Paris, is the friend of Giannotto di Civignì, who for years has urged him to become a Christian. One day Abraham departs for Rome, telling Giannotto that he wants to see the leaders of the Church – the pope and the curia – to decide whether or not he wants to convert. Giannotto, knowing of the debauched and decadent ways of the Roman clergy, fears Abraham will never want to convert after witnessing the corruption of the Church. But when Abraham returns, he announces that he intends to convert. His time in Rome exposed him to all the sinfulness of the Pope and high clergy, but also convinced him that the Christian religion must be the true one if it continues to survive even with such corrupt leadership.
The earliest source of this tale is in Busone da Gubbio's L'Avventuroso Siciliano, written in Italian in 1311.
Third tale (I, 3) This story is told by Filomena.
Saladin, a powerful sultan, finds that his treasury is exhausted. Melchizedek, a Jew, has money enough to cover the shortfall, but Saladin believes he is too greedy to lend it fairly. Saladin tries to trick Melchizedek into giving offense (and justifying the seizure of his wealth) by asking him whether Judaism, Christianity, or Islam is the true Word of God. Melchizedek evades the trap by comparing it to the story of a merchant who had a precious ring and three virtuous sons. Having promised the ring—and with it, his estate—to all three, the king had two equally precious copies made and gave one ring to each son. Thus it could not be determined who was heir to the estate. Likewise, it cannot be determined which faith is the truth. Saladin appreciates Melchizedek's wisdom and decides to be honest with him. In the end, Saladin gets his loan and repays it and Melchizedek gets Saladin's respect and gifts of praise for his intelligence.
Unlike other Medieval and Renaissance authors, Boccaccio treats Jewish people with respect, as this story and the previous one portray the main characters as wise and in a positive light. Boccaccio may have had contact with Jews while living in Naples as a young man. The oldest source is found in a French work by Stephen of Bourbon called The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, a slightly younger (c. 1321) Italian story in Bosone da Gubbio's L'avventuroso siciliano was Boccaccio's probable source. This tale was especially popular in the Renaissance and can be found in many versions all over Europe. It is also referred to as "The Tale of the Three Rings" and "The Legend of the Three Rings", and the research of Carlo Ginzburg demonstrated that it was quoted in the heresy trial of the Italian miller Menocchio. The "Parable of the Rings" is also found in Lessing's play Nathan the Wise.
Fourth tale (I, 4) Dioneo, who emerges as the most bawdy and sardonic of the storytellers, narrates this tale. Starting with day two, Dioneo insists on always speaking last, and does not always follow the storytelling rules of the day.
A young monk seduces a young woman and is secretly observed by an elder abbot. Realizing he has been seen, the young monk leaves his mistress on pretense of finishing a task. He gives the key to his room to the abbot, who then goes in to make love to the girl himself. The young monk hides and watches all of this, and uses his knowledge to avoid punishment. The monk and the abbot smuggle the woman out of the monastery but continue to bring her back frequently to share her favors.
The earliest surviving source for this anti-clerical tale is found in Cento Novelle Antiche, an Italian compilation of short stories from the end of the 13th century. Boccaccio could have possibly also taken the tale from a French fabliau, "L'Evesque qui benit sa maitresse" ("The bishop who blesses his mistress").
Fifth tale (I, 5) Fiammetta tells this story.
The Marquis of Montferrat, on his way to the Crusades, tells King Phillip of France of his happy marriage to the beautiful Marchioness. King Phillip is entranced with the Marquis's description of her and makes an excuse to detour to Montferrat so he can seduce her. He sends a courier ahead to tell the Marchioness that he is arriving soon and would like to be hosted and dine in the estate. The Marchioness devises a plan to keep King Phillip from her. When he arrives, she throws a banquet for King Phillip composed entirely of hens. King Phillip asks whether there are any roosters. The Marchioness replies that there are only hens which, like women, are the same everywhere. King Phillip, surprised by her wit and virtue, finishes the meal and quickly returns to the Crusade.
The story originates from One Thousand and One Nights. The marquis and marchioness at the time of Philip's crusade were William V and Judith of Babenberg.
Sixth tale (I, 6) Emilia narrates yet another anti-clerical tale, the fourth of the day so far.
A well-off man, becoming rather tipsy, rashly says that his wine is "good enough for Christ himself". A greedy inquisitor hears this and prosecutes him, imposing onerous penances, which the man performs. One Sunday, the man hears at a mass that "you shall receive an hundredfold and shall possess eternal life". He returns to the inquisitor and remarks on the large amounts of leftover broth being given to the poor each day. He commiserates with the inquisitor saying that, if he receives 100 times as much in the afterlife, he would be drowned. This incenses the inquisitor, but also embarrasses him for his gluttony and for the stinginess of the friars who give only their leftover broth to the poor. He tells the man to depart and never return, which suits the man perfectly.
Some commentators have identified the inquisitor as Pietro dell'Aquila, the inquisitor of Florence in 1345.
Seventh tale (I, 7)
Filostrato tells this tale.
Bergamino, an entertainer widely known for his wit and oratory, is denied the payment he is owed by Messer Cangrande della Scala. Bergamino tells him a story about a famous poet, Primasso (probably Hugh Primas), who was made to wait for bread by the Abbot of Cluny. When the abbot discovered that the man he thought was an unkempt beggar is in fact the famous Primasso, he felt shame and treated the man with full generosity. Cangrande, also ashamed, does the same for Bergamino.
Cangrande I della Scala is best known as Dante's benefactor, whom Dante praises in the Paradiso section of the Divine Comedy, xvii, 68.
Eighth tale (I, 8) Lauretta, inspired by the theme of the previous tale, narrates this one.
Messer Ermino de' Grimaldi is one of the richest men in Genoa and one of the stingiest in the world. A courtier named Guglielmo, gifted with great wit and sophistication, comes to the city and associates with the wealthy men there. Grimaldi's shows Guglielmo a new house he had built and asks how the facade could be improved. Guglielmo suggests that the word "generosity" be painted there. Grimaldi takes the hint, and becomes one of the most generous men in the city.
Ninth tale (I, 9) Elissa continues the theme of righteous censure.
After making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a Gascon lady is brutally assaulted by bandits on Cyprus. The King of Cyprus is weak and cowardly and takes no steps against the bandits. The lady decides to shame the king and asks him to teach her how to accept such attacks and insults with equanimity, since he is so good at doing so himself. This rouses the king out of his lethargy and from that moment he acts to hunt down the bandits and protect his realm.
Boccaccio took this story directly from Cento Novelle Antiche, in which the male character is also the King of Cyprus.
Tenth tale (I, 10) Pampinea narrates the last tale of the day.
Master Alberto da Bologna is an accomplished 70-year-old physician who falls in love with a much younger widow. His feelings being obvious, the woman and her friends belittle him. Alberto replies to their taunts by saying that, as an old man, he has learned patience and hope. The widow is impressed with this answer and tells Alberto that he may call upon her.
Second day Filomena reigns during the second day and assigns the topic to the storytellers: Misadventures that suddenly end happily.
First tale (II, 1) The body of St. Arrigo has been credited with a number of miracles and is being displayed in the town to huge crowds. Martellino, a young adventurer, decides on a lark to feign being a paralytic in order to get close to the saint. Unfortunately, a man from his town recognizes Martellino and exposes the fraud. The angry crowd is ready to tear Martellino to pieces, but his two friends accuse him of theft so that he will be arrested and taken away. While Martellino languishes in prison the two friends approach the prince of the town, who finds the whole episode amusing. He releases Martellino and gives all three of the young men new sets of clothing.
Neifile narrates this tale, which, like I, 1, ridicules the Catholic tradition of worshipping the Saints. Although there is no known earlier source for this tale, the part where Martellino's friends are carrying him in on a cot references Mark 2:2 and Luke 5:19.
Second tale (II, 2)