Novelleja Decameronesta

A collection of novellas likely written in the 14th century. This work is a notable forerunner to modern narrative fiction, presenting various stories that explore themes of love, morality, and human behavior, often intertwined with wit and satire. The initial framing narrative introduces a group of young men and women who flee the Black Death ravaging Florence, seeking refuge in a secluded villa where they engage in storytelling to pass the time and distract themselves from their grim surroundings. At the start of the collection, the character Ser Ciappelletto is introduced, a thoroughly wicked man who, despite his misdeeds, manages to fool a monk into believing he is holy, thus securing a place in the church after his death. Through cunning and deceit, Ciappelletto manages to portray himself as a saint, leading to a posthumous veneration that reflects the hypocrisy and gullibility within religious institutions. This tale not only sets the tone for the themes of irony and morality that are prevalent in Boccaccio's work but also reveals the author's critical perspective on societal norms and the contradictions of human nature.