"Along with Dante and Petrarch, Boccaccio (1313-1375) is one of the "Three Crowns" of Italian literature, a trio of writers who shaped the history of humanism, literature, and poetry in Italy, Europe, and beyond. Much as Dante established vernacular Italian in poetry, Boccaccio did the same for prose, most notably in his best-known work, the Decameron, an unforgettable work that takes an unflinching look at human passion, celebrates storytelling and community as a means of survival. This major biography by the esteemed literary scholar Marco Santagata sheds new light on Boccaccio's life-his family, friends, and foes; his aspirations, fears, and frustrations. Santagata shows in this rich portrait how the transformations Italy was undergoing at the time affected Boccaccio at various stages of his life. Most importantly, he shows how the world around him shaped Boccaccio's understanding of what literature could be; what kinds of stories it could or should convey and what kinds of characters it could depict; and, perhaps most importantly, what role literature and art can play in a changing world. This work promises to be the definitive biography of Boccaccio for many years to come"--