Giovanni Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375) was an Italian writer and humanist. He grew up in Florence, initially trained as a merchant, and later studied law in Naples. After returning to Florence, he worked as a notary and judge. Boccaccio was a friend of Francesco Petrarch and took a strong interest in classical literature. His best-known work, the Decameron, is a collection of novellas that had a lasting influence on European literature, particularly Italian prose. Boccaccio died in Certaldo near Florence in 1375.