The Decameron

Giovanni Boccaccio's 'The Decameron,' written in the middle of the 14th century, consists of 100 tales, and is one of the most celebrated literary works of the Renaissance. Constructed as a series of "frame stories," or stories within a story, the narrative follows seven young women and three young men who take refuge in a secluded villa outside Florence in order to escape the Black Death. During ten evenings of their stay, each of the travelers takes turns as storyteller to pass the time. Thei ...