Histoire littéraire d'Italie (3/9)

In this insightful study, the author traces the early years of one of Italy’s most celebrated 14th‑century writers, exploring how his modest merchant family and the bustling streets of Florence shaped his ambitions. From a childhood marked by an early love of verse—earning him the nickname “poet” among his peers—to a forced apprenticeship in bookkeeping, the narrative reveals the tension between commercial duty and artistic yearning. The turning point arrives when a pilgrimage to the tomb of Virgil awakens a dormant poetic genius, setting the young scholar on a new course.

The work then surveys his prolific output beyond the famed Decameron, including Latin mythological treatises, elegant eclogues, and a series of Italian poems that reveal his mastery of both courtly and popular styles. It also examines his close engagement with Dante, from youthful admiration to scholarly commentary on the Divine Comedy, highlighting how the two masters influenced each other without ever merging their distinct voices. Readers gain a vivid picture of a writer who navigated the cultural crossroads of his era, leaving a legacy that still resonates in literary circles today.