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What did Giovanni Boccaccio write about Dante Alighieri?
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Giovanni Boccaccio
Italian poet and scholar Giovanni Boccaccio, detail of a fresco by Andrea del Castagno; in the Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia, Florence.
Giovanni Boccaccio was a profound admirer of Dante Alighieri and demonstrated his devotion to the poet's memory through several scholarly works. Unlike his contemporary Petrarch, Boccaccio maintained an enduring enthusiasm for Dante’s contributions to Italian literature.1
His primary writings regarding Dante include:
- Trattatello in laude di Dante (c. 1360; "Little Treatise in Praise of Dante"): Also known as the Life of Dante, this work serves as a biographical tribute. Boccaccio produced this text along with two abridged editions to honor Dante's legacy.21
- Esposizioni sopra la Comedia de Dante: This is a scholarly commentary Boccaccio wrote on the first 17 cantos of Dante's Inferno.2
These works highlight Boccaccio's role in preserving and interpreting the legacy of his predecessor, distinguishing his literary interests within the early humanist movement.1