Long celebrated as one of "the Three Crowns" of Florence, Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-75) experimented widely with the forms of literature. His prolific and innovative writings--which range beyond the novella, from lyric to epic, from biography to mythography and geography, from pastoral and romance to invective--became powerful models for authors in Italy and across the Continent. This collection of essays presents Boccaccio's life and creative output...