Lot Essay
The Italian scholar and writer, Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) spent his childhood in Florence and returned to the city in 1340 after studying law in Naples. Involved in politics and the diplomatic services, Boccaccio associated with the elite of Florentine society - of particular note, the Italian humanist, Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) who was a close friend of the writer. Among Boccaccio's most famous publications were Vita di Dante (c.1364), a book which led to a life-long project of public lectures on the poet, and the book which he is most famous for, The Decameron. Boccaccio's imaginary description of the 'Black Death', first published in Venice in 1470, was translated in to English in 1620 and has since been published in nearly every European language.