Divine Comedy + Decameron discussion
Boccaccio's Decameron
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7/28-8/3: Fifth Day, Introduction & Stories 1-5
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Kris
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Apr 14, 2014 09:39AM
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Illustrations - Day V Story 1
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1...
Cimone contemplant Efigenia
Source: gallica.bnf.fr
(view spoiler)
Illustrations - Day V Story 2
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1...
Arrivée de Gostanza à Sousse
Source: gallica.bnf.fr
(view spoiler)
Illustrations - Day V Story 3
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1...
Agnolella fuyant les brigands
Source: gallica.bnf.fr
(view spoiler)
Illustrations - Day V Story 4
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1...
Ricciardo Manardi surpris par Lizio
Source: gallica.bnf.fr
(view spoiler)
Illustrations - Day V Story 5
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1...
Enlèvement d'Agnesa
Source: gallica.bnf.fr
(view spoiler)
Additional illustrations for "Cimone & Efigenia" (story 1)
BnF manuscript illustrated by Boccaccio himself
See more illustrations: http://www.engramma.it/eOS2/index.php...
http://www.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/fo...
Bonifacio Veronese - Cimone e Efigenia, 1510-1550
{This should be in colour but I can't find it on the internet... It might be in a private collection...}
Peter Paul Rubens & Frans Snyders (still life and monkeys) & Jan Wildens (landscape) - Cimon and Efigenia (Decameron 5:1), circa 1617
Oil on canvas
208 × 282 cm (81.9 × 111 in)
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
http://bilddatenbank.khm.at/viewArtef...
John Everett Millais (1829–1896) - Cymon and Iphigenia, 1848
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/la...
Big: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fil...
Millais' version is based on John Dryden's poemThe story of Cimon (or Cymon) and Iphigenia was originally told in The Decameron of Boccaccio. Millais’s source, though, was the version by the 17th century English poet John Dryden. The poem described the love of the aristocratic but boorish Cymon, who had been banished by his family to live in the country as a rustic, for the distant and refined Iphigenia.
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/la...
Cymon and Iphigenia
by John Dryden
From Boccace
Poeta loquitur,
OLD as I am, for Ladies Love unfit,
The Pow’r of Beauty I remember yet,
Which once inflam’d my Soul, and still inspires my Wit.
If Love be Folly, the severe Divine
Has felt that Folly, tho’ he censures mine;
Pollutes the Pleasures of a chast Embrace,
Acts what I write, and propagates in Grace
With riotous Excess, a Priestly Race:
Suppose him free, and that I forge th’ offence,
He shew’d the way, perverting first my Sense:
In Malice witty, and with Venom fraught,
He makes me speak the Things I never thought.
Compute the Gains of his ungovern’d Zeal;
Ill sutes his Cloth the Praise of Railing well!
The World will think that what we loosly write,
Tho’ now arraign’d, he read with some delight;
Because he seems to chew the Cud again,
When his broad Comment makes the Text too plain,
And teaches more in one explaining Page,
Than all the double Meanings of the Stage.
The next 600+ lines here: http://www.bartleby.com/204/134.html
Another Veronese school illustration of Cimone e Ifigenia: 
http://www.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/ca...
{sold by Sotheby's in 1978... probably to a private collector... from what I understand...}
Cymon and Iphigenia was a very popular theme. Here's another one (last one... for now!):
Big: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fil...
Lord Frederic Leighton (1830 - 1896) - Cymon and Iphigenia, 1884
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/coll...
Mod
I have just finished the first story, Cymon and Iphigenia... I have said this before, but I always pay attention to their geography..
With this one one can see how the stories come from previous times... Some have a clearly Christian context while others are pagan. This one is one of the latter.. it is the gods, in plural, who are mentioned... and with references to their possible interference out of jealousy.. that is very much from the classical times...
Mod
Big: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fil......"
This is lovely.
Mod
I have just finished the first story, Cymon and Iphigenia... I have said this before, but I always pay attention to their g..."
There you are Kalli. Was looking for you. Yes, you do always notice the geography! I promise I will try to catch up today!
Mod
Around 1480s (times of Lorenzo il Magnifico) Niccolò Niccoli (will check on him later) contended that "Dante was a poet to be read only by common wool workers and bankers" - because he had written in Tuscan rather than Latin, I guess.
And one more illustration for Cimone & Efigenia:
Big: http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterEl...
Bigger but b&w microfiche: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1...
Cimone contemplant Efigenia
BnF ms français 240
And still more and more-er illustrations of Cimone & Efigenia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cat...
Kalliope wrote: "This is lovely."I love the light and the complete abandon in Efigenia's posture.
Mod
Ever since Kalli mentioned this, each story's locale has me wondering if there is any significance.
Here is a breakdown:
I.1 Panfilo Burgundy W. Europe Paris, Lombardy
I.2 Neifile Paris, Rome W. Europe, C. Italy
I.3 Filomena Alexandria Mediterranean
I.4 Dioneo Lunigiana N. Italy
I.5 Fiammetta Montferrat(Monferrato) N. Italy Genoa, France
I.6 Emilia Florence C. Italy
I.7 Filostrato Paris, Verona W. Europe, N. Italy Cluny
I.8 Lauretta Genoa N. Italy
I.9 Elissa Cyprus Mediterranean Gascony
I.10 Pampinea Bologna N. Italy
II.1 Neifile Treviso N. Italy
II.2 Filostrato Castel Guiglielmo N. Italy Ferrara, Verona, Asti
II.3 Pampinea London, Florence W. Europe, C. Italy Bruges, Paris
II.4 Lauretta Cephalonia, Corfu, Amalfi coast, Ravello Mediterranean, S. Italy Constantinople(Istanbul), Reggio, Brindisi, Trani, Gaeta, Genoa, Cyprus
II.5 Fiammetta Naples S. Italy Girgenti (Agrigento), Palermo, Sicily, Perugia
II.6 Emilia Palermo, Lipari Islands, Naples, Genoa, Lerici S. Italy, N. Italy Catania, Ponza, Benevento Battle of, Sicily, Alexandria
II.7 Panfilo Aegina, Alexandria, Babylon (Cairo), Chios, Majorca, Rhodes, Smyrna Mediterranean Aiguesmortes, Algarve, Armenia, Athens, Cappodocia, Corinth, Famagusta(Cyprus), Jerusalem, Morea (Peloponnese), Sardinia Map
II.8 Elissa Paris, London W. Europe Antwerp, Calais, Picardy, Strangford, Wales
II.9 Filomena Alexandria, Paris, Genoa Mediterranean, W. Europe, N. Italy Pisa, Acre, Venice, Piacenza, Albenga, Finale Ligure
II.10 Dioneo Monaco, Pisa W. Europe, C. Italy Montenero, Ravenna
III.1 Filostrato Lamporecchio C. Italy
III.2 Pampinea Pavia N. Italy
III.3 Filomena Florence C. Italy Genoa
III.4 Panfilo Florence C. Italy
III.5 Elissa Pistoia C. Italy Milan
III.6 Fiammetta Naples S. Italy
III.7 Emilia Florence C. Italy Pontremoli, Sanlodeccio (Saludecio), Constantinople (Istanbul), Ancona, Cyprus
III.8 Lauretta Tuscany C. Italy Sardinia, Bologna
III.9 Neifile Florence, Narbonne, Roussillon C. Italy, W. Europe Montepelier, Paris
III.10 Dioneo Gafsa Africa
IV.1 Fiammetta Salerno S. Italy
IV.2 Pampinea Imola, Venice N. Italy Assisi, Flanders
IV.3 Lauretta Crete, Marseilles Mediterranean, W. Europe Candia (Heraklion), Rhodes, Spain, Genoa
IV.4 Elissa Sicily, Tunisia, Granada, Ustica, Trapani S. Italy, Mediterranean Carthage, Palermo, Messina, Sardinia, Granada, Tunis
IV.5 Filomena Messina, Naples S. Italy San Gimignano, Pisa
IV.6 Panfilo Brescia N. Italy
IV.7 Emilia Florence C. Italy
IV.8 Neifile Florence C. Italy Paris
IV.9 Filostrato Provence W. Europe
IV.10 Dioneo Salerno S. Italy Amalfi
V.1 Panfilo Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus Mediterranean
V.2 Emilia Lipari Islands, Susa (Sousse), Tunis S. Italy, Mediterranean, Africa Trapani, Sicily, Granada
V.3 Elissa Rome C. Italy Anagni (Alagna)
V.4 Filostrato Romagna N. Italy
V.5 Neifile Faenza N. Italy Fano, Pavia, Lombardy
V.6 Pampinea Ischia, Procida, Palermo S. Italy Loria (Lauria), Cape Minerva (Punta Campanella), Scalea, Calabria, Naples
V.7 Lauretta Trapani S. Italy Lajazzo (Ayas), Sicily, Rome, Genoa, Cilicia (Lesser Armenia)
V.8 Filomena Classe, Ravenna N. Italy Spain
V.9 Fiammetta Florence, Campi Bisenzio (Campi) C. Italy
V.10 Dioneo Perugia C. Italy
VI.1 Filomena Florence C. Italy
VI.2 Pampinea Florence C. Italy
VI.3 Lauretta Florence C. Italy
VI.4 Neifile Peretola C. Italy Venice
VI.5 Panfilo Mugello C. Italy Rabatta
VI.6 Fiammetta Montughi C. Italy
VI.7 Filostrato Prato C. Italy
VI.8 Emilia Florence(?) C. Italy
VI.9 Elissa Florence C. Italy
VI.10 Dioneo Certaldo C. Italy Altopascio, Monte Morello (Mugello), Abruzzi
VII.1 Emilia Camerata C. Italy Fiesole
VII.2 Filostrato Naples S. Italy
VII.3 Elissa Siena C. Italy
VII.4 Lauretta Arezzo C. Italy
VII.5 Fiammetta Rimini C. Italy
VII.6 Pampinea Florence C. Italy
VII.7 Filomena Bologna N. Italy Paris
VII.8 Neifile Florence C. Italy
VII.9 Panfilo Argos Mediterranean
VII.10 Dioneo Siena C. Italy
VIII.1 Neifile Milan N. Italy
VIII.2 Panfilo Varlungo C. Italy Avignon
VIII.3 Elissa Florence (Mugnone Valley) C. Italy Abruzzi, Faenza, Montici, Porta San Gallo, Settignano
VIII.4 Emilia Fiesole C. Italy Senigallia
VIII.5 Filostrato Florence C. Italy San Lepidio (Sant' Elpidio a Mare), Marche
VIII.6 Filomena Florence C. Italy
VIII.7 Pampinea Florence C. Italy Paris
VIII.8 Fiammetta Siena C. Italy
VIII.9 Lauretta Florence C. Italy Forlimpopoli, Laterina, Montesone (Montisoni), Passignano, Peretola, Bologna, Scotland
VIII.10 Dioneo Palermo, Naples S. Italy Messina, Ferrara, Monaco, Florence, Pisa
IX.1 Filomena Pistoia C. Italy
IX.2 Elissa Lombardy N. Italy
IX.3 Filostrato Florence C. Italy
IX.4 Neifile Siena C. Italy Ancona, Buonconvento, Corsignano (Pienza), Torrenieri
IX.5 Fiammetta Camerata C. Italy
IX.6 Panfilo Mugnone Valley (Florence) C. Italy
IX.7 Pampinea Florence C. Italy
IX.8 Lauretta Florence C. Italy
IX.9 Emilia Antioch, Jerusalem Mediterranean Lajazzo (Ayas)
IX.10 Dioneo Barletta S. Italy Bitonto, Barolo (Borduli), Tresanti
X.1 Neifile Spain W. Europe
X.2 Elissa Siena C. Italy Chianciano Terme, Radicofani, Santa Fiora, Cluny
X.3 Filostrato Cathay Asia Genoa
X.4 Lauretta Bologna N. Italy Modena
X.5 Emilia Udine N. Italy
X.6 Fiammetta Castellammare di Stabia S. Italy Naples, Apulia, Florence
X.7 Pampinea Palermo S. Italy Caltabellota, Cefal'u, Sicily, Aragon
X.8 Filomena Rome, Athens C. Italy, Mediterranean
X.9 Panfilo Pavia, Alexandria, Digne N. Italy, Mediterranean, W. Europe Lombardy, Milan, Genoa, Acre, Babylon (Cairo), Crete, Paris, Cyprus
X.10 Dioneo Saluzzo N. Italy Bologna
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Pampinea: First Day, Tenth Tale (Master Alberto and his analogy to the leek)
Filostrato: Second Day, Second Tale (Rinaldo d'Asti is shown hospitality by a widow)
Panfilo: Seventh Day, Seventh Tale (How Madonna Beatrice obtains Lodovico)
Lauretta: Eighth Day, Ninth Tale (Bruno and Buffalmacco joke with and then throw a Bolognese physician into a ditch)
Lauretta: Tenth Day, Fourth Tale (the tale of the lover who revives the lady in the tomb)
Dioneo: Tenth Day, Tenth Tale (Marquis of Saluzzo tests his wife)
Pertinent data:
Political and Cultural Aspects: The University of Bologna (L'universita' delgi studi di Bologna) was the oldest and one of the most important centers of learning in all of Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was founded in 11th century and became a model for other universities. The medieval university was primarily student run, with the students deciding whether to keep professors or fire them. The school was famous for its study of canon law. To go to the University of Bologna and study canon law was a significant achievement.
Medieval History:After being subject to the Greek exarchate of Ravenna in the 6th century, Bologna was passed to the papacy. After a feudal period, the city became a free commune after the emperor recognized its rights in the early 12th century. The conflict between the Guelfs and Ghibellines led to the domination by a series of signori like the Pepoli, Visconti, and Bentivoglio.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Emilia: First Day, Sixth Tale (In which the rich man exposed the hypocrisy of the inquisitor)
Pampinea: Second Day, Third Tale (A nephew of three men who squandered their wealth falls in love with and eventually marries the daughter of the King of England)
Filostrato: Third Day, First Tale (Lamporecchio pretends to be dumb and acquires work at a nunnery and access to the nuns inside)
Filomena: Third Day, Third Tale (A noblewoman uses an innocent friar as a go-between for her affair with a local man)
Panfilo: Third Day, Fourth Tale (Friar Puccio, a pious man, is told how to attain blessedness, thus paving the way for Dom Felice to have an affair with his wife)
Emilia: Third Day, Seventh Tale (Tedaldo, thought to be murdered by the hand of his mistress' husband, reappears and saves her husband, and also the affair)
Emilia: Fourth Day, Seventh Tale (Simona, accused of murdering her lover, Pasquino, who died by rubbing a poisonous sage leaf on his teeth, can only clear her good name by dying herself)
Neifile: Fourth Day, Eighth Tale (Girolamo, in love with Salvestra, is convinced by his mother to go to Paris, only to return to find her married to another)
Fiammetta: Fifth Day, Ninth Tale (Federigo degli Alberighi wins the woman he loves, at the cost of his beloved falcon)
Filomena: Sixth Day, First Tale (Madonna Oretta is badly told a story, by a man promising a ride through a tale, and asks to be let down)
Pampinea: Sixth Day, Second Tale (Cisti the baker wins the friendship of Geri Spina with good wine and a quick remark)
Lauretta: Sixth Day, Third Tale (Monna Nonna replies to a jibe of the Bishop of Florence)
Neifile: Sixth Day, Fourth Tale (Currado Gianfigliazzi's cook, Chichibio, steals a stork leg)
Panfilo: Sixth Day, Fifth Tale (Giotto replies to Rabatta's unkind remark)
Fiammetta: Sixth Day, Sixth Tale (Michele Scalza proves the Baronci are the noblest family, not just in Italy, but the world)
Elissa: Sixth Day, Ninth Tale (Guido Cavalcanti shames the men taunting him with a quick remark)
Emilia: Seventh Day, First Tale (Gianni Lotteringhi's wife chases away a "werewolf" with a prayer)
Filomena: Seventh Day, Seventh Tale (Madonna Beatrice takes Lodovico as a lover, and her husband receives a beating)
Neifile: Seventh Day, Eighth Tale (Monna Sismonda's jealous husband beats the maid and cuts off her hair, thinking she is his wife)
Panfilo: Eighth Day, Second Tale (The priest of Varlungo goes to bed with Monna Belcolore and gets out of giving her what she asked for)
Elissa: Eighth Day, Third Tale (Calandrino is fooled into thinking he has found the rock of invisibility, only to have the spell broken by his wife)
Filostrato: Eighth Day, Fifth Tale (Three men pull down the pants of a judge)
Filomena: Eighth Day, Sixth Tale (Bruno and Buffalmacco steal a pig from Calandrino and make it appear as though he himself had stolen it)
Pampinea: Eighth Day, Seventh Tale (A scholar, made a fool by a widow, pays her back in full)
Lauretta: Eighth Day, Ninth Tale (A Bolognese doctor is tricked by Bruno and Buffalmacco.
Fiammetta: Ninth Day, Fifth Tale (Calandrino, believing a woman is in love with him, is discovered in a compromising position by his wife)
Lauretta: Ninth Day, Eighth Tale (Biondello and Ciacco play tricks on each other)
Fiammetta: Tenth Day, Sixth Tale (King Charles magnanimously refrains from taking advantage of his host's daughters and instead bestows them in marriage)
Major Florentine Characters:
Cisti the Baker
Geri Spina
The Baronci Family
Calandrino
Bruno and Buffalmacco
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Fiammetta: First Day, Fifth Tale (The Marchioness of Montferrat turns away the unwanted attentions of the King of France with a chicken dinner)
Lauretta: First Day, Eighth Tale (Ermino de' Grimaldi, or Ermino Skinflint, as he was known on account of his avarice, is shown the error of his ways)
Emilia: Second Day, Sixth Tale (Madam Beritola loses her husband and two children and endures much hardship before she is reunited with them)
Filomena: Second Day, Ninth Tale (Ambrogiuolo leads Bernabò to believe his wife has been unfaithful to him)
Lauretta: Fourth Day,Third Tale (Three couples flee from their homes, but their happiness dissolves as a result of jealousy and anger)
Major Character:
Ser Cepparello
Pertinent data:
General Aspects: Located about 75 miles (120 km) south of Milan on the Gulf of Genoa, the city occupies a narrow coastal plain and the western slopes of the Apennine Mountains. As a flourishing Roman municipium, it became a road junction, a military port, and a market. During the 12th and 13th centuries, maritime commerce was the dominant activity. The port city was instrumental in Mediterranean trade.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Filostrato: Eighth Day, Fifth Tale (Tale of the judge who loses his breeches)
Neifile: Ninth Day, Fourth Tale (where Angiolieri and Fortarrigo are headed)
Pertinent data:
General Aspects: After the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a strong German presence in the region. For example, the Hohenstaufen Emperor, Frederick II held his power in the Marche. Florence viewed the people of the Marche as "fools" with "inborn avarice" (VIII.5). As Filostrato describes, the Marche people tend "to be mean-hearted, who lead such a frugal and beggarly sort of life that anyone would think they hadn't penny to bless themselves with."
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Elissa: Fourth Day, Fourth Tale (Gerbino launches his pirate ships)
Filomena: Fourth Day, Fifth Tale (The pot of basil tale)
Dioneo: Eighth Day, Tenth Tale (The merchant who tricks the wily woman)
Pampinea: Tenth Day, Seventh Tale (King Peter comforts Lisa who is ill with love)
Pertinent data:
General Aspects: It lies on the lower slopes of the Peloritani Mountains, on the Strait of Messina opposite Reggio di Calabria. The city prospered under the Normans as a commercial and cultural centre in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1266, Messina was passed to the house of Anjou of France and given to the Argonese with the rest of Sicily.
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Elissa: Third Day, Fifth Tale (Messer Francesco Vergellesi grants permission for Zima to speak to his wife)
Neifile: Eighth Day, First Tale (Gulfardo borrows money from Guasparruolo, and also his wife)
Panfilo: Tenth Day, Ninth Tale (Messer Torello and Saladin exchange favors)
Pertinent data:
Economic Aspects: Milan, due to its location at the intersection of several Alpine passes in the upper Po Valley, developed into one of the Roman Empire's largest and most powerful cities. Milan thrived (with only occasional periods of decline) during the Middle Ages and eventually became renowned for the production of high quality military arms.
Contemporary Political Aspects: During the early 14th century, the people of Milan turned to the Visconti, a powerful and landed Ghibelline family, for protection against invaders and encroachers. During the rule of Giovanni and Lucchino (sons of Matteo, the first Visconti ruler of Milan), Milan annexed Genoa (1353) and greatly consolidated its power in Lombardy. In 1354 Galeazzo II and Bernabò (nephews of Giovanni) took control of the city and remained in power until 1385 when Gian Galeazzo, son of Galeazzo II, had Bernabò put to death and assumed political control. Under his reign, though the citizens of Milan suffered notable restrictions on personal liberty, the city expanded its sphere of influence to include much of Northern and Central Italy. Gian Galeazzo ran a form of government closely resembling a modern bureaucracy, founded the Milan cathedral and was a patron of literature and art.
Mod
The Church of San Lorenzo
[San Lorenzo, where Boccaccio is said
to have met Fiammetta in 1334]
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Fiammetta: Second Day, Fifth Tale (Andreuccio, after looking for horses, returns home with a ruby ring)
Fiammetta: Third Day, Sixth Tale (Ricciardo Minutolo uses jealousy to trick his love into sleeping with him)
Filomena: Fourth Day, Fifth Tale (Lisabetta's murdered lover comes appears to her in a dream)
Pampinea: Fifth Day, Sixth Tale (By talking to the King, Ruggieri de Loria saves two young lovers from death)
Lauretta: Sixth Day, Third Tale (Monna Nonna de' Pulci protects her reputation against the Bishop and the Marshall)
Filostrato: Seventh Day, Second Tale (Peronella sells her tub to her lover while her husband is in it)
Dioneo: Eighth Day, Tenth Tale (Salabaetto takes revenge on Madonna Jancofiore after she tries to relieve him of his goods)
Fiammetta: Tenth Day, Sixth Tale (Charles I falls in love with Messer Neri degli Uberti's daughters while he is visiting the latter's garden)
Pertinent data:
General Aspects: On its famous bay, with the smaller Gulf of Pozzuoli to the west and to the southeast - the more extended indentation of the Gulf of Salerno--the city is situated between two areas of volcanic activity: Mount Vesuvius to the east and the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) to the northwest.
Succumbing at last to the Lombard power established at Capua and Benevento, Naples saw the Lombards turned away by the Norman conquests that swept southern Italy in the 12th century. Including also Naples in that turbulent times, the region was changed hands from the Norman to the Swabian dominion which elevated the metropolis to a regional and cultural capital throughout the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Boccaccio's prose novel Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta (1343-44) and the same named brigata member Fiammetta have many ties to the city of Naples. We can see in the story list that she tells three stories that use Naples as the setting.
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Elissa: Fourth Day, Fourth Tale (Gerbino, the grandson of King William, tries to abduct the daughter of the King of Tunis from a ship, and they both lose their lives)
Neifile: Fifth Day, Fifth Tale (Giacomino and Giannole both woo the same girl, until it is discovered that she is the sister of one)
Dioneo: Eighth Day, Tenth Tale (A merchant, fooled once by a beautiful, conniving woman, turns the tables on her and gets back his stolen goods and then some)
Pampinea: Tenth Day, Seventh Tale (A woman falls in love with King Peter and subsequently falls ill)
Pertinent data:
Contemporary Issues: Palermo, a city located on the island Sicily, was an important port city and trade center. International commerce with headquarters located in Florence had branches scattered all over Western Europe and the Mediterranean area. One of the main branches was located in Palermo.
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Pampinea: Third Day, Second Tale (A man sleeps with the wife of King Agilulf and shears all his hair to avoid an unpleasant fate)
Neifile: Fifth Day, Fifth Tale (A girl is wooed by her brother and Minghino and later given to Minghino)
Panfilo: Tenth Day, Ninth Tale (Messer Torello and Saladin exchange favors)
Pertinent data:
General Aspects: In Latin ticinum, Pavia lies in the Lombardia (Lombardy) region of Northern Italy. It lies on the left bank of the Ticino River, above its junction with the Po, 20 mi (32 km) south of Milan. After a series of wars with Milan from the 11th to the 13th century, it was finally subdued by the viscounts of Milan and the Visconti of Brittany in the 14th century and became the political centre of Italy under Gian Galeazzo II Visconti, who founded the University of Pavia.
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Neifile: First Day, Second Tale (Abraham visits Rome and converts to Christianity)
Elissa: Fifth Day, Third Tale (Pietro and Agnolella elope and get lost in the forest)
Lauretta: Fifth Day, Seventh Tale (Teodoro and Violante fall in love)
Elissa: Tenth Day, Second Tale (tale of Abbot of Cluny and his stomachache)
Filomena: Tenth Day, Eighth Tale (Sophronia marries the wrong man)
Dioneo: Tenth Day, Tenth Tale (Marquis of Saluzzo marries a peasant and tests her)
Pertinent data:
Political Aspects: Being the host to the Vatican, Rome has always been a conservative city, with the Papacy exerting an almost iron grip over the city. After the Papacy moved to Avignon in 1308, Rome was beset with strife. Two major aristocratic families were feuding for control of the city, the Colonna and the Orsini. Cola di Rienzo, who attempted to restore the city to its previous republican virtue, was overthrown and killed in 1354.
Contemporary Issues: The religious orders housed within Rome were rife with corruption and sins of the flesh in Boccaccio's day. Boccaccio mentions the largess of the Catholic Church several times within the Decameron
Mod
Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Lauretta: Second Day, Fourth Tale: (Landalfo Rufolo turns pirate off the Amalfi coast to make a profit)
Fiammetta: Fourth Day, First Tale: (Ghismonda and Guiscardo's love affair ends in tragedy, at the hands of Tancredi, Prince of Salerno)
Dioneo: Fourth Day, Tenth Tale: (Ruggieri d'Aieroli lands himself in a trunk after drinking the medicine of Doctor Mazzeo della Montagna)
Pertinent data:
General Aspects: The town lies at the centre of the Gulf, at the mouth of the Irno River valley, not far from Piana del Sele. Robert Guiscard, the Norman ruler, conquered Salerno in 1077, making it the capital of his dominions; the foundation of the famous Scuola Medica Salernitana (school of medicine) enhanced its importance. Under the Swabian rulers, it declined with the growing importance of Naples. Salerno's economy, facilitated by the lines of communication, was based on the marketing of agricultural products and on maritime activities.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Seventh Day, Third Tale (Friar Rinaldo sleeps with godchild's mother, then convinces the husband he has been treating the sick child)
Seventh Day, Tenth Tale (Tingoccio Mino, who has recently died, appears in the dream his friend, Meuccio di Tura)
Eighth Day, Eighth Tale (Spinelloccio Tavena and Zeppa di Mino, two friends who repay each other a favor at the expense of their wives)
Ninth Day, Fourth Tale (Cecco Angiolieri is forced to change his travels when Cecco Fortarrigo strips his of everything, including his trousers)
Tenth Day, Second Tale (Ghino di Tacco wins the favor of Pope Boniface when he cures the Abbot of Cluny of his ailing stomach)
Narrators:
Elissa
Dioneo
Neifile
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Panfilo: Second Day, Seventh Tale (Alatiel, the daughter of the Sultan of Babylon, makes many stops with many different men before she reaches her final destination)
Lauretta: Fourth Day, Third Tale (Three couples run away together, but their happiness dissolves as a result of jealousy and anger)
Panfilo: Fifth Day, First Tale (Cymon abducts the woman he loves, and helps Lysimachus abduct the woman he loves)
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Political Aspects: When the Byzantine Empire was conquered and divided up by the Franks in 1204, the task of governing the island of Rhodes was given to the Venetians. In 1248 a part of Rhodes was taken over by the Genoese, who recognized Byzantine sovereignty until it was ceded to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Throughout most of the 13th century Rhodes was a resting place for devout Christian pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. However, at the end of the 13th century, Rhodes was captured by Arab forces and remained Moslem territory until 1306 when, with the support of France, England, the Pope, Naples, and Genoa, the former Grand Master of Rhodes recaptured the island.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Elissa: First Day, Ninth Tale (A weak king is show the error of his ways)
Panfilo: Second Day, Seventh Tale (Alatiel and her journey)
Emilia: Third Day, Seventh Tale (Tedaldo and his mistaken death)
Panfilo: Fifth Day, First Tale (Cymon and his abduction of Cassandra)
Panfilo: Tenth Day, Ninth Tale (Messer Torello and Saladin's friendship)
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Political and Cultural Aspects: Cyprus developed a strong Hellenistic-Christian character during the Byzantine period. Under the reign of Hugh IV (1324-1369), Cyprus became a Western feudal state dominated by crusaders. Because of the background of the rulers of Cyprus, the island's culture was deeply influenced by the Church and Western European custom and tradition.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Filomena: First Day, Third Tale (Melchizedek the Jew avoids the trick of Saladin)
Filomena: Second Day, Ninth Tale (Bernabo's wife crossdresses to avenge her husband)
Panfilo: Tenth Day, Ninth Tale (Messer Torello and his friendship with Saladin)
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Political and Cultural Aspects: As with the vast majority of cities in Northern Africa, Alexandria became an Islamic city when Mohammed's followers moved westward. It was not an isolated city by any means; Alexandria served as an important link in the trading routes of the Mediterranean. The trade season lasted for two months, with the primary cargoes being spices, slaves, and linen. Alexandria housed a substantial textile industry, boasting over fourteen thousand looms by the early fifteenth century. The city had prominent Jewish and Christian communities, however, which were fostered by international trade.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Panfilo: First Day, First Tale (The rascally Ser Cepparello lives a life of debauchery and is later made a saint)
Neifile: First Day, Second Tale (The Jew Abraham sees the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and is converted)
Elissa: Second Day, Eighth Tale (The Count of Antwerp, accused of trying to rape the Queen of France, is forced to flee the country)
Filomena: Second Day, Ninth Tale (Ambrogiuolo leads Bernabò to believe his wife has been unfaithful to him)
Neifile: Fourth Day, Eighth Tale (Girolamo is pressed to leave his love and go to Paris, and upon his return he finds her married to another man)
Filomena: Seventh Day, Seventh Tale (Madonna Beatrice takes Lodovico as a lover, and her husband receives a beating)
Pampinea: Eighth Day, Seventh Tale (A scholar, made a fool by a widow, pays her back in full)
Major Characters:
Ser Cepparello
Pertinent data:
Contemporary Issues: International commerce with headquarters located in Florence had branches scattered all over Western Europe and the Mediterranean area. One of the main branches was located in Paris.
Major Locations:
Notre Dame: The Notre Dame cathedral, begun in 1163 and completed in the 14th century, is the spiritual center of Paris.
The Bastille: The famous fortress called the Bastille was built in the 14th century.
Saint-Germain-Des-Prés: The Saint-Germain-Des-Prés is one of the oldest churches in Paris.
The Louvre: The Louvre was an ancient palace for French kings. It was built during the reign of Charles V.
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Significance within the Decameron:
Stories:
Pampinea: Second Day, Third Tale (Uncles gain lost money through a nephew marrying the daughter of the King of England)
Elissa: Second Day, Eighth Tale (The Count of Antwerp goes into exile and leaves his children in England, and his innocence is restored)
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General Aspects: The Norman kings selected Westminster as the site for their permanent residence and government. Edward the Confessor (ruled 1042-66) constructed an enormous church dedicated to St. Peter (and later referred to as Westminster Abbey) as well as a royal palace. London, meanwhile, reestablished its role as a centre of trade. In 1300 London had about 80,000 inhabitants that were provisioned by a food-supply network extending 40-60 miles (65-100 km) into the surrounding countryside.
Political Aspects: London usually supported strong, orderly government, especially in such crises as the deposition of Edward II (1327) and Richard II (1399), and in the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. The first evidence of a Court of Common Council dates from 1332.
Wow Reem! That's some great information you've posted. Really interesting to see how far and wide throughout Italy and the main European trading spots Boccaccio found his inspiration for the stories.
Toto wrote: "What struck me in the story of Cimon and Iphigenia is the reference to the woods. Idiot Cimon "chanced to enter a wood" in which he finds all sorts of beauty, including a beautiful girl. His gui..."The woods in the third story had a fairy tale quality about them that really appealed to me. :)
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That would be anither way of reading the whole collection
In a geographical tour. I am going to copy that to a document.
Perfect!
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Yes... every time the word WOOD is mentioned in any work from or about the late Mid Ages-early Renaissance... makes one inevitably think of Dante...
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When the two lovers are discovered on the terrace in bed, naked, with the "nightingale" in the young woman's hand, the father promptly decides to capitalize on the opportunity to ensure the young man of higher social standing marries his deflowered girl:
Woman, if you value my love, hold your tongue! Now that she has taken him, she shall keep him. Ricciardo is a rich young man, and comes from noble stock. We could do a lot worse than have him as our son-in-law. If he wishes to leave this house unscathed, he will first have to marry our daughter, so that he will have to put his nightingale into his own cage and into no other.
"Caging the nightingale" functions as a stand in for sexual interaction.
It brings to mind Aesop's Fable :The Labourer and the Nightingale
A Labourer lay listening to a Nightingale's song throughout the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it. "Now that I have caught thee," he cried, "thou shalt always sing to me."
"We Nightingales never sing in a cage." said the bird.
"Then I'll eat thee." said the Labourer. "I have always heard say that a nightingale on toast is dainty morsel."
"Nay, kill me not," said the Nightingale; "but let me free, and I'll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor body."
The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of a tree and said:
"Never believe a captive's promise; that's one thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And third piece of advice is: Sorrow not over what is lost forever."
Then the song-bird flew away.
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In the Decameron, Boccaccio's seven ladies manage to demonstrate that they are not naive about sexual matters while still skillfully preserving their modesty by avoiding sexual language through their wit.
"Boccaccio's ladies, although their laughter and witticisms challenge a facile dichotomy between sex wit and modest innocence, do not use sexually explicit language and it would be hard to imagine Boccaccio arguing on the propriety of his Florentine noblewoman had they dallied in the bath with one of their servants. While questioning some of the assumptions of what makes a good woman, Boccaccio's ladies are represented consistently as virtuous, and Boccaccio seems rather interested in the mutual pleasures of solace to be enjoyed in the mixed company among the polite urban circles.
P.S. Do you think reading the Arabian Nights next year to be a good idea? It seems we are all lagging behind in our reading of these types of tales.
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More on the nightingale:
Filostrato narrates this tale, which some claim bears a resemblance to "Lai du Laustic" by the famed late 12th-century poet Marie de France. However, the resemblance is not strong and the story may be of either Boccaccio's invention or may come from oral tradition.
Laüstic", also known as "Le Rossignol", "Le Laustic", "Laostic", and "Aüstic", is a Breton lai by the medieval poet Marie de France. The title comes from the Breton word for "nightingale", a symbolic figure in the poem.[1] It is the eighth poem in the collection known as the Lais of Marie de France, and the poem is only found in the manuscript known as Harley 978 (also called manuscript H).[1] Like the other poems in the collection, Laüstic is written in the Anglo-Norman dialect of Old French, in couplets eight syllables long. Through the use of poetics and bird-related imagery, Marie brings attention to the repressed female voice and body as Other by creating a textual space for the feminine experience to be heard. This lai is a poignant tale about a secret affair, and the painful position woman occupies as Other in a patriarchal society.
The nightingale serves as a metaphor which constitutes a means for the lovers to communicate one last time.[2]
The nightingale, which initially serves as a metaphor, becomes a narrative commentary of the events which have transpired.[2]
Marie as the artist serves to preserve the story of the two lovers through the act of writing, just as the servant is entrusted with the lady's message and enwrapped nightingale.[2]* The reference to a nightingale alludes to the tale of Philomela in Ovid's Metamorphoses on several levels. Philomela embroiders her story in a tapestry much like the lady of Laustic; Philomela herself is transformed into a nightingale at the end of Ovid's story; and as Michelle Freeman suggests, the broken body of the nightingale, which signifies the end of the lovers' communication, is symbolic of the cutting out of Philomela's tongue, which effectively silences her.[2]
The servants hide traps for the nightingale in hazel trees, a plant that is also found in Chevrefoil and Le Fresne, two of Marie's other Lais.
ReemK10 (Paper Pills) wrote: "Day 5, tale 4When the two lovers are discovered on the terrace in bed, naked, with the "nightingale" in the young woman's hand, the father promptly decides to capitalize on the opportunity to en..."
The play on words running through that story was delicious. The illuminators are not quite as daring as our grivois Boccacio! ^^
ReemK10 (Paper Pills) wrote: "In the Decameron, Boccaccio's seven ladies manage to demonstrate that they are not naive abo..."The ladies do enjoy all the stories! ^^
P.S. Do you think reading the Arabian Nights next year to be a good idea? It seems we are all lagging behind in our reading of these types of tales.
I'm definitely interested in reading the Arabian Nights. I'm not sure how many pages a week it would mean (probably quite a few!)...
ReemK10 (Paper Pills) wrote: "Filostrato narrates this tale, which some claim bears a resemblance to "Lai du Laustic" by the famed late 12th-century poet Marie de France. ..."Very interesting. We encountered Marie de France's Saint Patrick's Purgatory: A Poem when we looked at precedents for Dante's Inferno.
The Lai du Rossignol is very much in the same vein as Boccaccio's stories. Here it is in modern French: http://jacques.prevost.free.fr/moyen_...
And a good quick primer on Marie de France's lais here (in French): http://www.lettres-et-arts.net/histoi...
