It’s a tale of wine-soaked chaos amid bubonic plague.
Since the Black Death was a real historical event, you might be wondering: What isThe Decameronbased on?
It’s far too absurd to be a true story.
‘The Decameron’ by Giovanni Boccaccio.
Was it a book?
Who was it penned by?
Well, EW has you covered.
Detail of a fresco of Giovanni Boccaccio by Andrea del Castagno in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.Public Domain
Here’s everything you better know aboutThe Decameron’ssource material and more.
What is ‘The Decameron’ based on?
The Decameronis loosely based on a 14th-century collection of fictional short stories.
Tony Hale in ‘The Decameron’.Netflix
Unfortunately, this means that the Decameron’s characters are not based on real historical figures.
The text is different from the series and centers around young aristocrats (seven women and three men).
What does “Decameron” mean?
Battle between the Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons miniature from La Teseida, by Giovanni Boccaccio, artist Barthelemy d’Eyck, 14th century.Leemage / Corbis Historical / Getty Images
“Decameron” is Greek for “10 days.”
It represents the duration of 10 days spent at the country villa.
Who is the author of ‘The Decameron’?
Zosia Mamet and Saiorse-Monica Jackson in ‘The Decameron’.Netflix
The story collection was written by Italian author and poet Giovanni Boccaccio.
Boccaccio was born in Florence in the 1300s and grew up during the era of nobles and servants.
The movement originated in Italy during the 14th century and gradually spread across Europe until the 15th century.
The Black Death strikes Italy - detail of Luigi Sabatelli’s 19th-century etching “The plague of Florence in 1348,” as described in Boccaccio’s ‘Il Decameron’.Made available by the Wellcome Library through the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
What inspired Boccaccio to write ‘The Decameron’?
Netflix
Boccaccio lived during the time of the Black Death.
What were Giovanni Boccaccio’s other famous works?
Although none of his other works reached the same fame asThe Decameron, Boccaccio penned many other well-regarded works.
Why was ‘The Decameron’ banned?
The Decameronwas banned in Italy between 1497 and 1559, long after Boccaccio’s death in 1375.
Women writers Ezra Heywood and Margaret Sanger were arrested for it.
What is the historical significance of ‘The Decameron’?
During his time in Italy, Boccaccio experienced the impact of the historical event on society and religion.
