Brogan, James C., trans., La Fiammetta (New York: National Alumni, 1907). View Source Online

Text name(s): La Fiammetta

Number of pages of primary source text: 0

Medieval Author(s): Boccaccio, Giovanni

Dates: 1343 - 1344

Archival Reference:

Original Language(s): Italian;

Translation: English translation.

Translation Comments:

Geopolitical Region(s): Italy;

County/Region:

Apparatus:

Comments:

This text provides the vast majority of what is known about Boccaccio’s love affair with Maria d’Acquino, a married woman and natural daughter of King Robert. Because this fictional texts is the only major source of information about an affair that would have by necessity been kept secret, some scholars have questioned whether it ever happened or not, but most agree that there is no reason to doubt that Boccaccio and his Fiammetta had some sort of love relationship. She was the inspiration for many of his early works, including this one, which contains some of the most personal and poetic writing of his early career, despite being written in prose. It is written from the point of view of Fiammetta as a complaint that her lover, here called Panfilo, has had to leave her to follow the call of filial duty. She recounts their affair as she bemoans her fate. The entire translation can be downloaded in PDF format from the York University (Canada) In Parenthesis website.

Introduction Summary:

Cataloger: mk