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Meet the Rodney Dangerfield of Medieval Literature, Boccaccio

Boccaccio was profoundly interested in how a literary life should be lived, which could be why he was so attracted to the form of biography — making him a standout among his contemporaries.

Vasari's 'Six Tuscan Poets,' detail, circa 1544, depicting, left to right: Cristoforo Landino, Marsilio Ficino, Francesco Petrarca, Giovanni Boccaccio, Dante Alighieri, and Guido Cavalcanti.
Vasari's 'Six Tuscan Poets,' detail, circa 1544, depicting, left to right: Cristoforo Landino, Marsilio Ficino, Francesco Petrarca, Giovanni Boccaccio, Dante Alighieri, and Guido Cavalcanti. Minneapolis Institute of Art via Wikimedia Commons