Environment on the literature: Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio(1313-1375), author of Decameron has took from the common people and other social classes in the Florence of 14^th century; in short the Decameron is a portrait of Florentine society in 14^th century; Boccaccio has took true personages, that after he has  tied to framework, but he has took the human typology or personages really existed ; the first that we can consider is the novella of Calandrino, who was he? He was a modest painter whose the name  Giovannozzo of Pierino that in this novella with others two painters, Bruno di Giovanni and Bonamico Cristofani, called Buffalmacco, truly existed, the first clue that shows the inspiration from the reality of Boccaccio, but he has took also the wit of Florence, both the liking and the joke that in Florence was present, but the wit  of then is in the following words: “Was then in Florence a young very charming and fro everything he was very cunning, called Maso del Saggio, that heard  about ingenuity of Calandrino, he proposed of amuse oneself trough some joke; this wit is typical of Florence and the cue during the meeting and everywhere is typical, hence Boccaccio have to invent very short for these novellas; also because some datum we can read on the Vasari, in the his book The life of painters, sculptors and architects where Vasari about Calandrino says: “Buonamico di Cristofano, called Buffalmacco, Florentine painter, that was pupil of Andrea Tafi and he was also burlesque, celebrated from mister Giovanni Boccaccio…”; it can be believed from the readers as the reality, but Vasari remembered one alone painting work, because in the life of Buffalmacco isn’t others, and he has said to beginning of life of Buffalmacco that his painting are in much town of Tuscany, but he told alone one painting cycle, that was deleted already during the 16^th century; hence this painter has been fitted on the guilt of doctors in year 1320, but other there isn’t, why? Because this painter lived certainly in Florence, but he not has been famous, but Boccaccio has took this character that about him, he has known in Florence; furthermore a Bruno of Jolin is mentioned in a contract in year 1301, and the other information hat Vasari has took as Boccaccio from the common knowledge but that are, regard to art, very untrustworthy ; anyway  the way that Boccaccio has followed was followed also from Vasari; hence the environment of Florentine city was an archive. A literary critic Mario Baratto has said about the Decameron: “…the historic nature of Decameron, regard to social condition of the Florentine people in the century 1300…”, he has described the people and his wit during the 14^th century.

Alessandro Lusana