BOCCACCIO, GIOVANNI (bo-katch' yo), an Italian novelist and poet, son of a Florentine merchant, was born in 1313, in Certaldo, a small town in the valley of the Elsa, 20 miles from Florence. He spent some years unprofitably in lit erary pursuits and the study of the can on law, but in the end devoted himself entirely to literature. In 1341 Boccaccio fell in love with Maria, an illegitimate daughter of King Robert of Naples, who returned his passion and is immortalized as Fiammetta in many of his best crea tions. His first work, a romantic love tale in prose, "Filocopo," was written at her command; as was also the "Teseide," the first heroic epic in the Italian lan guage, and the first example of the ot tava rima. In 1341 he returned to Flor ence at his father's command, and dur ing a three years' stay produced three important works, "Ameto," "L'amorosa Visione" and "L'amorosa Fiammetta," all of them connected with his mistress in Naples. In 1344 he returned to Na ples, where Giovanna, the granddaughter of Robert, who had succeeded to the throne, received him with distinction. Between 1344 and 1350 most of the stories of the "Decameron" were com posed at her desire or at that of Fiam metta. This work, on which his fame rests, consists of 100 tales represented to have been related in equal portions in 10 days by a party of ladies and gentle men at a country house near Florence while the plague was raging in that city.
On the death of his father, Boccaccio returned to Florence, where be was greatly honored. He was sent to Padua to communicate to Petrarch the tidings of his recall from exile and the restora tion of his property. From this time an intimate friendship grew up between them. They both contributed greatly to the revival of the study of classical literature. In 1373 he was chosen by the Florentines to occupy the chair which was established for the exposition of Dante's "Divina Commedia." His lectures continued till his death. Among his other works may be mentioned "Fi lostrato," a narrative poem; "Il Nin fale Fiesolano," a love story; and sev eral Latin works. The first edition of the "Decameron" appeared without date or place, but is believed to have been printed at Florence in 1469 or 1470. The first edition with a date is that of Valdarfer, Venice 1471; what is, per haps, the only existing perfect copy of this was sold in London, in 1812, for £2,260. He died in Certaldo, in 1375.