Why is the Decameron called Ten Days’ Work?

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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.

The Decameron is titled "Ten Days’ Work" because of its frame story structure, which follows a group of 10 young people who flee plague-stricken Florence to a villa in the countryside.12

During their fortnight-long stay, the group spends 10 days engaged in the activity of storytelling, while the remaining days are reserved for religious devotions or personal adornment. Each of the 10 participants takes a turn as the leader of the day, setting the theme for the tales to be told. This arrangement results in a total of 100 stories, with each day concluding with a song.12