The Decameron Sixth Day in Perspective

"Should anyone doubt that the exhaustively studied tales of Madonna Oretta, Cisti fornaio, Chichibio, Giotto, Cavalcanti, and Frate Cipolla can nonetheless yield new interpretive insights, David Lummus’ expertly curated anthology of essays should put such doubts to rest. This is a series of strikingly original readings which balance traditional techniques of close analysis with feminist, historicist, semiotic, ideological, and other theoretical approaches to the text. In so doing, these essays make the strongest possible case for the centrality of Day Six to the Decameron’s faith in the triumphant agency of the human word."

Millicent Marcus, Professor of Italian Studies, Yale University

"While critics have long understood the brief stories of Day Six as crucial distillations of Boccaccio’s thoughts on literature, these essays seek out new perspectives and approaches to show how the stories also engage issues of class, gender, politics, philosophy, and religion. Analyzing connections to the Bible, Ovid, medieval bestiaries, Dante, legal documents, and Boccaccio’s own earlier works, the contributors both illuminate and deepen the mysteries of these remarkable (and remarkably short) stories. The rich diversity of ideas explored in this volume will engage readers and spur new interpretations."

Martin Eisner, Chair of Romance Studies and Professor of Italian, Duke University

"Though the Sixth Day is the shortest giornata of the Decameron, its novelle are anything but inconsequential. The chapters in this volume are written by leading voices in the field who adopt a variety of perspectives to penetrate the many layers of significance in these stories. This collection is a necessary reference for anyone interested in the Decameron."

Kristina M. Olson, Associate Professor of Italian, George Mason University