Early Lives of Dante

Written by Giovanni Boccaccio

Narrated by Algy Pug

This recording contains two early biographies of Dante, both written by notable Florentine literati.
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 -1375) was an Italian poet, most famous for his monumental collection of tales, The Decameron. Like Dante, Boccacio was one of the first writers to use the Italian vernacular.
Lionardo Bruni (Aretino) (1369- 1444) was an accredited historian and man of letters. His short biography was inspired by reading the version of Dante's life by Boccaccio, who he considered had mispresented Dante by over-emphasizing the influence of his association with Beatrice.
In his collection Wicksteed also included short articles wrtten by the Florentine banker and diplomat Giovanni Villani (c. 1276 – 1348), his nephew, the historian Filippo Villani (fl. 15th century) and Boccaccio.(Summary by Algy Pug)

• Language: English
• Publisher: LibriVox
• Release date: Aug 25, 2014

Giovanni Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) was born and raised in Florence, Italy where he initially studied business and canon law. During his career, he met many aristocrats and scholars who would later influence his literary works. Some of his earliest texts include La caccia di Diana, Il Filostrato and Teseida. Boccaccio was a compelling writer whose prose was influenced by his background and involvement with Renaissance Humanism. Active during the late Middle Ages, he is best known for writing The Decameron and On Famous Women.