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==Introduction==The Renaissance was one of the most important periods in the history of the western world. This era saw the development of the modern conception of the individual, the emergence of humanism and new forms of cultural expression, all of which influence us to this day[[File:Boccaccio 1. There are many important figures in this era which lasted roughly two centuries (1320-1527 AD), who contributed to the Renaissance and the revival jpg|190px|thumb|left|Statue of European culture. These included great artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo and great writers such as Petrarch, Dante, and Machiavelli. One writer who made a dramatic contribution to the Renaissance was Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375), although his contribution is often neglected. This article argues that Boccaccio was an important figure in the development of HumanismUffizi Gallery, the Italian language and the development of modern literature. Florence]]__NOTOC__{{Contributors}}

[File: Boccaccio 1The Renaissance was one of the most important periods in the history of the western world.jpg|200px|thumb|left| Statue This era saw the development of the modern conception of the individual, the emergence of humanism and new forms of cultural expression, all of Boccaccio which influence us to this day. There are many important figures in this era which lasted roughly two centuries (1320-1527 AD), who contributed to the Uffizi Gallery, Florence]]Renaissance and the revival of European culture.

==The life of Giovanni Boccaccio==The future writer was born in a village outside of the city of Florence These included great artists such as Michelangelo and he was the son of Boccaccio de Chellino, a wealthy merchant Leonardo and banker, who was employed by the famous Bardi Bank. It appears that Boccaccio was born outside of marriage and he was raised by his father and legitimized. The young boy received an excellent education and was tutored in Latin and his father also gave him some business training. From an early age, the young Giovanni was determined to be a poet. His father moved to Naples and worked great writers such as a financial advisor to the king and Boccaccio was familiar with the Neapolitan Court. The young man was obliged to become an apprentice bankerPetrarch, which he hatedDante, but he was able to meet many writers and scholars <ref>Bartlett, Kenneth RMachiavelli. The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance. Toronto: D.C. Heath and Company, 1992, p 42-43)</ref>. It was about this time that he became interested in the mythology of the Greeks and the Romans. The young man would regularly attend the Royal Court and he fell in love with the young daughter of the king, One writer who inspired some of his later works, but his passion was not requited. Boccaccio’s first efforts were in poetry and he was much influenced by the Sicilian School <ref>Bartlett, p 42</ref>. He wrote a long poem, Il Filostrato, and Teseida, which represented his emotional turmoil caused by his unrequited love for the King’s daughter. In 1340 the Bardi Bank collapsed, and this causes made a European wide financial crisis, which forced Boccaccio dramatic contribution to return to Florence, leaving his beloved in Naples. It was at this time that he grew as a writer and wrote a traditional medieval style Romance in verse, In the Elegy of Lady Fiammetta, which has some of his finest poetry. The young writer traveled throughout Italy at this time and he appears to escape the Black Death unscathed (1347-1350). The plague killed up to one-third of the population of Italy and the devastation it caused, deeply impacted Boccaccio’s writings. The Black Death Renaissance was directly the inspiration for his greatest work the Decameron, which was written between 1348-1353 <ref> Mc William, G.H.: 1995, Introduction to The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, Penguin Classics, Suffolk England, 1995(1313–1375), p 5</ref>. This although his contribution is a large prose work and it is a collection of short stories or Nouvellesoften neglected. It This article argues that Boccaccio was an instant sensation and has remained so to this day. Boccaccio came to regret his masterpiece and after completing it he seemed to have experienced some form of crisis. In important figure in the 1350s he met Petrarch and the two men became friends’ and each influenced the works development of Humanism, the other. In the 1350s Boccaccio wrote the biography of Dante and went on to write a collection of biographies On Famous Women Italian language and On Famous Men, which was very popular. He also wrote a work on classical mythology and this is considered to be one of the first studies development of myth ever produced. In 1362 during a religious crisis, he met a monk who told him to abandon modern literature and to burn his extensive library, for the sake of his soul <ref>McWilliam, p 4</ref>. Thankfully, Petrarch intervened and persuaded Boccaccio to follow his vocation as a writer and scholar. His native Florence recognized his talents and he was appointed as a public lecturer on the works of the great Dante. He also because of the influence of his great friend Petrarch, became a diplomat and he was engaged on diplomatic missions throughout Europe. As he grew old he returned to his native Tuscany and lived in the village of Certaldo, until his death in 1375.[File: Boccaccio 3.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Florence]]

 ====The life of Giovanni Boccaccio and the birth of the Novel====Despite writing a great deal of poetry [[File: Boccaccio is best known for his prose and he is acknowledge to be one 3.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Florence]]The future writer was born in a village outside of the masters city of Italian prose. The Florentine Florence, and he was one of the founders son of Boccaccio de Chellino, a wealthy merchant and banker, who was employed by the modern novel and his most famous work is the DecameronBardi Bank. This work begins with a vivid description It appears that Boccaccio was born outside of the Black Death marriage and he was raised by his father and provides one of history’s most terrifying accounts of societal breakdown <ref> Bowsky, William Mlegitimized. The Black Death: A Turning Point young boy received an excellent education and was tutored in History (Hold Rinehart & WinstonLatin, New Yorkand his father also gave him some business training. From an early age, 1971), pthe young Giovanni was determined to be a poet. 13</ref>. Following this, the reader is introduced His father moved to Naples and worked as a company of young people who flee financial advisor to the plague in the city to the safety of king and Boccaccio was familiar with the countrysideNeapolitan Court. The novel consists of 100 tales that are told by seven young women and three young menman was obliged to become an apprentice banker, which he hated, but he was able to meet many writers and scholars. The tales<ref>Bartlett, often love stories, range from the romantic to the eroticKenneth R. The Decameron was not just a collection of love stories they provide an overview of the human condition[https://www.amazon. The characters in the story came from all classes com/gp/product/1442604859/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1442604859&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c3d374ea225865ed2995e8921320d0f6 The Civilization of the Early Italian Renaissance .] Toronto: D.C. Heath and many feature nuns, priests and monks <ref>McWilliamCompany, 1992, p 642-43)</ref>It was about this time that he became interested in the mythology of the Greeks and the Romans.  The stories are all based on folk tales from Italy, Franceyoung man would regularly attend the Royal Court, and as far away as India, but skilfully adapted by he fell in love with the Florentine. All young daughter of the stories are king, who inspired some of his later works, but his passion was unrequited. Boccaccio’s first efforts were in Italian and they are all very realistic poetry, and he was much influenced by the characters behave in Sicilian School.<ref>, Bartlett, p 42</ref> He wrote a very natural way. This is one of the reasons why the Decameron is still read and admired to this day as it delightful captures the range of human emotionslong poem, strengthsIl Filostrato, and weaknessesTeseida, which represented his emotional turmoil caused by his unrequited love for the King’s daughter. The tales in the Decameron had many admirers In 1340 the Bardi Bank collapsed, and influenced many writers throughout the Renaissance this creates a European financial crisis, which forced Boccaccio to return to Florence, leaving his beloved in Italy and beyondNaples. The work It was at this time that he grew as a writer and wrote a traditional medieval style Romance in verse, In the inspiration for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales WrightElegy of Lady Fiammetta, one which has some of the first great works in the canon of English literature<ref>Herbert Ghis most beautiful poetry. Boccaccio in England: From Chaucer  The young writer traveled throughout Italy at this time, and he appears to Tennyson escape the Black Death unscathed (London, A&C Black, 20141347-1350), p 13</ref>. Many The plague killed up to one-third of the tales in population of Italy and the 14th-century work were adapted by dramatists of the stature of Shakespearedevastation it caused, Lope De Vega, and Molieredeeply impacted Boccaccio’s writings. The Florentine’s work Black Death was a shift away from Medieval Romances to literary realismdirectly the inspiration for his most celebrated work the [https://www.amazon. He demonstrated that prose could capture the complexity of humans and their situations and while poetry remained the dominant mode of literary expressioncom/gp/product/0140449302/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0140449302&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c9aa7bd74453a31a3ad010c425b948eb Decameron], after the Decameronwhich was written between 1348-1353.<ref> Mc William, literary prose became more popular and widely acceptedG.H. : 1995, Introduction to The second great Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, Penguin Classics, Suffolk England, 1995), p 5</ref> This is a large prose work of Boccaccio , and it is the Elegy a collection of Lady Fiammetta (1345-1347) short stories or Nouvelles. It was an instant sensation and has remained so to this is regarded as the world’s first psychological novelday. This work is in the Boccaccio came to regret his masterpiece, and after completing it, he seemed to have experienced some form of a monologue by a young woman narrating her tragic love for a young merchantcrisis. Boccaccio’s work was unlike anything else written before  In the 1350s, he met Petrarch and its psychological realism was a radical departure from medieval literature where characters were stereotypes the two men became friends’ and not individualseach influenced the works of the other. In the 1350s Boccaccio inspired many writers to abandon allegory, so typical wrote the biography of the Middle Ages Dante and adopt went on to write a realist style collection of writing portraits <refi>On Famous Women and On Famous Men</i> Burckhardt, Jacobwhich was very popular. He also wrote a work on classical mythology, The Civilization and this is considered to be one of the Renaissance in Italy (Londonfirst studies of myth ever produced. In 1362 during a religious crisis, Penguin Bookshe met a monk who told him to abandon literature and to burn his extensive library, 1987)for the sake of his soul.<ref>McWilliam, p 674</ref>. The Florentine  Thankfully, Petrarch intervened and persuaded Boccaccio to follow his vocation as a writer and scholar. His native Florence recognized his talents, and he was also one appointed as a public lecturer on the works of the first biographers and his work on the Life of great Dante is one of the first literary biographies. His potted accounts He also because of the lives influence of famous people also decisively shaped the Renaissance tradition of biographyhis great friend Petrarch, for examplebecame a diplomat and he was engaged on diplomatic missions throughout Europe. As he grew old, Vasari’s Lives of he returned to his native Tuscany and lived in the Artists. The impact village of Boccaccio on literature Certaldo, until his death in Europe cannot be overstated <ref>McWilliams, p 4</ref>1375. [File: ====Boccaccio 2 and the birth of the Novel====[[File:Boccaccio 3.jpgFile.pngjpg|200px350px|thumb|left| A 15th century painting of a scene from the DecameronFlorence]]==Boccaccio and Despite writing a great deal of poetry==Today the poetry of , Boccaccio is only read by academics best known for his prose, and his fame as a poet has long since been eclipsed by his works in he is acknowledged to be one of the masters of Italian prose. However, he The Florentine was a fine poet one of the founders of the modern novel, and he decidedly shaped his most famous work is the direction Decameron. This work begins with a vivid description of Renaissance poetry in both Italy the Black Death and elsewhereprovides one of history’s most terrifying accounts of societal breakdown. He helped to popularise many rhymes and verse forms especially the Octavo stanzas. Moreover<ref> Bowsky, it appears that he introduced Petrarch to the works of the Sicilian School which had developed innovative stanza formsWilliam M. Many believe that this inspired Petrarch to develop his own form of the sonnet <ref>McWilliams The Black Death: A Turning Point in History (Holt Rinehart & Winston, New York, 1971), p 7. 13</ref>.  Boccaccio wrote many long narrative poems’, and this inspired many poets throughout Europe, including Chaucer. His long poems such as then introduces to the Il Filostrato had many imitators, and indeed this work was reader to a company of young people who fled the plague in the city to the safety of the basis for Shakespeare’s tragedy Troilus and Cressidacountryside. The poet’s works novel consists of 100 tales that are told by seven young women and three young men. The tales, often categorized as belonging love stories, range from the romantic to the ‘Courtly Love’ tradition and his verse popularized this form erotic. The Decameron was not just a collection of love stories; they provide an overview of self-expression, throughout the European realmshuman condition. Boccaccio’s poetry was very much focused on The characters in the personal and the emotional lives story came from all classes of the individual and their ambitions, hopesEarly Renaissance, and sorrowsmany feature nuns, priests and monks.<ref>BurckhardtMcWilliam, p. 1136</ref>. This was something that inspired many to adopt a more personal style of verse which had a great impact on European culture  The stories are all based on folk tales from Italy, France, and as far away as India, but skilfully adapted by the 14th century to Florentine. All of the present.==Influence on Humanism==Boccaccio was very much interested stories are in the classical past Italian, and can be considered to be they are all very realistic, and the characters behave in a very natural way. This is one of the great mediators between reasons why the classical world Decameron is still read and Renaissance Italy. His encyclopedia on classical myths did much admired to generate interest in Ancient history this day as it delightful captures the range of human emotions, strengths, and culture and persuaded many to study Greek-Roman civilizationweaknesses. Boccaccio was like his friend Petrarch fascinated by The tales in the classical past Decameron had many admirers and he popularized influenced numerous writers throughout the works of Homer Renaissance in Florence Italy and this persuaded many to study beyond. The work was the works inspiration for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, one of the poet who sang of first great works in the destruction canon of Troy and the adventures of OdysseusEnglish literature.<ref>Herbert G. Boccaccio was one of the first Italians who celebrated in England: From Chaucer to Tennyson (London, A&C Black, 2014), p 13</ref> Many of the Greeks and their culture, especially tales in his role as a public lecturerthe 14th-century work were adapted by dramatists of the stature of Shakespeare, Lope De Vega, and Moliere. The Florentine  Boccaccio’s work was a deeply religious man, but he saw value in this life and believed shift away from Medieval Romances to literary realism. He demonstrated that earthly pleasure was not inherently sinful. There is a real delight in nature prose could capture the complexity of humans and their situations, and people in while poetry remained the works on the writer and he stressed that everyone was an individual <ref>Burckhardtdominant mode of literary expression, p 19</ref>. In his worksafter the Decameron, his characters are struggling with circumstances literary prose became more popular and using their reason and foresight to improve their lot in lifewidely accepted. In his main The second extraordinary work, he shows young people enjoying and celebrating life despite the fact that the Black Death is raging all around them of Boccaccio is <i>The Elegy of Lady Fiammetta<ref/i> Steel(1345-1347), Davidand this is regarded as the world’s first psychological novel. "Plague writing: from Boccaccio to Camus." Journal This work is in the form of European Studies 11a monologue by a young woman narrating her tragic love for a young merchant. Boccaccio’s work was unlike anything else written before, no. 42 (1981): 88-110 </ref>and its psychological realism was a radical departure from medieval literature where characters were stereotypes and not individuals. The Decameron was influential in promoting  Boccaccio inspired many writers to abandon allegory, so typical of the humanistic worldview in the RenaissanceMiddle Ages and adopt a realist style of writing. ==Vernacular literature==Boccaccio was determined to make Italian a respected literary language. Until the start <ref> Burckhardt, Jacob, The Civilization of the 14th century, Italian was not considered to be a vehicle for literary expression. Latin Renaissance in Italy (London, Penguin Books, 1987), p 67</ref> The Florentine was also one of the first biographers and his work on the language Life of Dante is one of the first literary elite and biographies. His potted accounts of the vernacular languages were not rated highly. Beginning with Dante lives of famous people also decisively shaped the use Renaissance tradition of the vernacular became more accepted in poetry. What Dante did biography, for poetryexample, Vasari’s Lives of the Artists. Boccaccio did for prose's impact on literature in Europe cannot be overstated. He used his native Tuscan and was able to make it capable of great descriptive power <ref>McWilliams, p 4</ref> ====Boccaccio and expression. He sought to create an Italian that was poetry====Today the poetry of Boccaccio is only read by academics and his fame as concise as Latin and a poet has long since been eclipsed by his works in prose does have this quality. The quality of . However, he was a fine poet and he decidedly shaped the prose direction of the Florentine Renaissance poetry in both Italy and its precision elsewhere. He helped to popularise many rhymes and elegance demonstrated verse forms especially the Octavo stanzas. Moreover, it appears that Italian was he introduced Petrarch to the equal works of the language of Cicero and HoraceSicilian School which had developed innovative stanza forms. Boccaccio’s Decameron in particular was read around Europe and it Many believe that this inspired other authors Petrarch to write in their native language and shun Latin. The author contributed to one develop his own form of the most significant changes in Europe wrought by the Renaissance and that was the adoption of the Vernacular language for literary expression<sonnet.<ref>McWilliams, p 7</ref> BrottonBoccaccio wrote many long narrative poems, J.’ and this inspired many poets throughout Europe, The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction (Oxfordincluding Chaucer. His long poems such as the Il Filostrato had many imitators, OUP, 2006), p 19</ref>and indeed this work was the basis for Shakespeare’s tragedy Troilus and Cressida. ==Conclusion==Boccaccio was one of the three great writers The poet’s works are often categorized as belonging to the ‘Courtly Love’ tradition and his verse popularized this form of self-expression, throughout the early Renaissance who decisively shaped its directionEuropean realms. He along with Dante Boccaccio’s poetry was very much focused on the personal and Petrarch laid the foundations for emotional lives of the literature of this period not only in Italy but also throughout Europeindividual and their ambitions, hopes, and sorrows.<ref>Burckhardt, p. Boccaccio 113</ref> This was something that inspired many to adopt a great writer and he helped to elevate prose and made it more personal style of verse which had a vehicle for literary works. He was also critical in the development of the novel and he shifted literature away from allegory and romance great impact on European culture from the 14th century to a more realistic approach. His emphasis on the psychology of his characterspresent. and by describing individuals in social settings he changed the direction of literature and this is evident in the prose and drama  ====Influence on Humanism====[[File:Boccaccio 2.jpg |250px|thumb|left| A 15th century painting of a scene from the period. While best known as a prose writer he helped Decameron]]Boccaccio was very much interested in the classical past and can be considered to develop new techniques for poetic expression be one of the great mediators between the classical world and his narrative poems found many imitatorsRenaissance Italy. Like many other intellectuals of the time, he His encyclopedia on classical myths did not believe that this life was a vale of tears but had meaning much to generate interest in Ancient history and joy, as evident in the characters culture and the stories of the Decameronpersuaded many to study Greek-Roman civilization. The author Boccaccio was critical in like his friend Petrarch fascinated by the classical past, and he popularized the development works of Italian as a literary language and this, Homer in turnFlorence, influenced many throughout Europe to write in their mother tongue and this ultimately led persuaded many to study the establishment works of national literaturethe poet who sang of the destruction of Troy and the adventures of Odysseus. ==Further Reading==Lewis, Clive StaplesBoccaccio was one of the first Italians who celebrated the Greeks and their culture, especially in his role as a public lecturer. The discarded image: An introduction to medieval  Boccaccio was a deeply religious man, but he saw value in this life and believed that earthly pleasure was not inherently sinful. There is a real delight in nature and renaissance people in the works on the writer, and he stressed that everyone was an individual.<ref>Burckhardt, p. 19</ref> In his works, his characters are struggling with circumstances and using their reason and foresight to improve their lot in life. In his main work, he shows young people enjoying and celebrating life even though the Black Death is raging all around them.<ref> Steel, David. "Plague writing: from Boccaccio to Camus." Journal of European Studies 11, no. 42 (1981): 88-110</ref> The Decameron was influential in promoting the humanistic worldview in the Renaissance. ====Vernacular literature ====<dh-ad/>Boccaccio was determined to make Italian a respected literary language. Until the start of the 14th century, Italian was not considered to be a vehicle for literary expression. Latin was the language of the literary elite and the vernacular languages were not rated highly. Beginning with Dante the use of the vernacular became more accepted in poetry. What Dante did for poetry, Boccaccio did for prose. He used his native Tuscan and was able to make it capable of great descriptive power and expression. He sought to create an Italian that was as concise as Latin and his prose does have this quality.  The quality of the prose, its precision, and elegance demonstrated that Italian was the equal of Latin. Boccaccio’s Decameron, in particular, was read around Europe and it inspired other authors to write in their native language and shun Latin. The author contributed to one of the most significant changes in Europe wrought by the Renaissance and that was the adoption of the vernacular languages for literary expression.<ref> Brotton, J., [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0192801635/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0192801635&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=2a9f28aad8d467196202eaadfbb16846 The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction] (Oxford, OUP, 2006), p 19</ref> ====Conclusion====Boccaccio was one of the three great writers of the early Renaissance who decisively shaped its direction. He along with Dante and Petrarch laid the foundations for the literature of this period not only in Italy but also throughout Europe. Boccaccio was a great writer and he helped to elevate prose and made it a vehicle for literary works. He was also critical in the development of the novel and he shifted literature away from allegory and romance to a more realistic approach. His emphasis on the psychology of his characters and by describing individuals in social settings he changed the direction of literature and this is evident in the prose and drama of the period. While best known as a prose writer he helped to develop new techniques for poetic expression and his narrative poems found many imitators.  Like many other intellectuals of the time, he did not believe that this life was a vale of tears but had meaning and joy, as evident in the characters and the stories of the Decameron. The author was critical in the development of Italian as a literary language and this, in turn, influenced many throughout Europe to write in their mother tongue and this ultimately led to the establishment of national literature. ====Further Reading====Lewis, Clive Staples. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1107604702/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1107604702&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=7e401d88097e078de0524cb64327751b The discarded image: An introduction to medieval and renaissance literature] (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1994).

Mazzotta, Giuseppe. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691610878/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691610878&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=e742cd3c0a062f529a1871a3358e157d The World at Play in Boccaccio's Decameron]. (Princeton University Press, 2014){{MediaWiki:AmNative}} ====References====<references/>[[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:Renaissance History]] [[Category:Italian History]]