The Decameron is a collection of novellas containing 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death. To pass the evenings, each member of the party tells a story each night, except for one day per week for chores, and the holy days during which they do no work at all, resulting in ten nights of storytelling over the course of two weeks. The various tales of love range from the erotic to the tragic, with tales of wit, practical jokes, and life lessons contributing to the mosaic.
In addition to the literary value and widespread influence of The Decameron, the book provides a document of life at the time. Written in the vernacular of the Florentine language, it is considered a masterpiece of classical early Italian prose. The Decameron was very popular among contemporaries, especially merchants, allowing many manuscripts to survive. Two in particular have elaborate drawings, likely done by Boccaccio himself.