26 moments
Birth at Certaldo
· Certaldo, Republic of Florence
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Boccaccio’s biographical infobox identifies Certaldo as his birthplace. The same article’s biography notes scholarly uncertainty over whether he was born in Florence or near Certaldo; this card follows the article’s dated infobox identification.
Move with family to Naples
· Naples, Kingdom of Naples
His father’s banking appointment brought Boccaccio with the family to Naples, where he entered banking and later studied canon law.
Return to Florence
· Florence, Republic of Florence
Boccaccio left Naples and returned to Florence amid tensions between the Angevin king and Florence. The source supports only early-1341 precision; the card date is therefore year-level.
Residence at Ostasio da Polenta’s court
· Ravenna, Papal States
Boccaccio resided at the Ravennate court of Ostasio da Polenta during a search for patronage and literary connections. The documented stay spans 1345–1346; year-level dating is used because the source supplies no narrower date.
Guest of Francesco Ordelaffi
· Forlì, Papal States
Boccaccio went to Forlì and stayed with Francesco Ordelaffi, where he corresponded with local scholars.
Black Death in Florence
· Florence, Republic of Florence
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Boccaccio was back in Florence during the plague whose devastation informed the Decameron’s celebrated opening. This modern institutional biography supports his presence in Florence in 1348; older accounts have differed over his precise movements during the plague year.
First meeting with Petrarch near Florence
· Florentine countryside, Republic of Florence
Boccaccio met Petrarch personally while Petrarch was travelling toward Rome for the Jubilee, beginning their enduring friendship. The exact meeting site in the Florentine countryside is not reported; coordinates are a representative point for Florence.
Mission to Ravenna for Dante’s daughter
· Monastery of Santo Stefano dell'Uliva, Ravenna, Papal States
On a Florentine-linked mission, Boccaccio delivered ten gold florins to Beatrice, Dante Alighieri’s daughter, at her Ravennate convent. Coordinates represent Ravenna because the medieval convent site is not precisely geocoded in the source.
Mission and meeting with Petrarch
· Padua, Commune of Padua
Acting for Florence, Boccaccio met Petrarch in Padua to invite him to take a chair at Florence’s university.
Embassy to Ludwig of Bavaria
· Tyrol, Holy Roman Empire
Florence sent Boccaccio as ambassador to Tyrol to propose an alliance to Ludwig of Bavaria against Giovanni Visconti. The source identifies Tyrol but not a town or court site; coordinates are a representative point for the historical region.
Papal embassy to Avignon
· Avignon, Papal States
Boccaccio undertook a Florentine embassy to Pope Innocent VI at Avignon. The mission is dated May–June 1354; the required date field is consequently year-level.
Return to Naples
· Naples, Kingdom of Naples
Boccaccio travelled to Naples in an unsuccessful attempt to secure a position through Niccolò Acciaioli.
Visit to Montecassino Abbey
· Abbey of Montecassino, Montecassino, Kingdom of Naples
During his 1355 Neapolitan journey, Boccaccio stopped at Montecassino and explored its major monastic library. The Brown University chronology places this journey under 1355.
Embassy to Bernabò Visconti’s court
· Milan, Lordship of Milan
Boccaccio travelled as ambassador to the court of Bernabò Visconti, a major diplomatic engagement with the Visconti regime. The source names Bernabò Visconti’s court but does not specify its exact venue; Milan is used as the defensible court-city coordinate.
Return visit to Ravenna
· Ravenna, Papal States
During 1361–1362 Boccaccio returned to Ravenna, where he gathered information for Petrarch’s work on Peter Damian. The source dates the return only to the 1361–1362 interval; year-level dating is necessarily approximate.
Withdrawal to Certaldo
· Certaldo, Republic of Florence
After Florence’s political crisis, Boccaccio withdrew to Certaldo and began a more secluded phase of life.
Second disappointing stay in Naples
· Naples, Kingdom of Naples
Boccaccio again went to Naples seeking better prospects at the Angevin court, but the stay was disappointing.
Naples visit during spiritual crisis
· Naples, Kingdom of Naples
Boccaccio travelled once more to Naples but remained only briefly because of an unwelcoming reception. The source places this account under 1363.
Visit to Petrarch in Venice
· Venice, Republic of Venice
After returning from Naples via Florence and Padua, Boccaccio reached Venice, where he encountered Petrarch’s family rather than Petrarch himself. The source places this sequence under 1363; it does not provide a narrower date.
Proceeding to Certaldo
· Certaldo, Republic of Florence
Boccaccio proceeded to Certaldo after his 1363 travels through Naples, Florence, Padua, and Venice.
Embassy to Urban V at Avignon
· Avignon, Papal States
Boccaccio returned to Florentine diplomatic service and travelled to Avignon as ambassador to Pope Urban V.
Embassy to the papal court in Rome
· Rome, Papal States
Boccaccio travelled to Rome on an ambassadorship to the papal court after Urban V had returned the papacy there.
Venice visit
· Venice, Republic of Venice
Boccaccio visited Venice, where he met Petrarch’s daughter and son-in-law, though not Petrarch himself.
Final meeting with Petrarch
· Padua, Commune of Padua
Boccaccio met Petrarch again in Padua, their last documented personal meeting. The source places the meeting in 1368 but does not specify a month or exact venue.
First Dante lecture at Santo Stefano
· Church of Santo Stefano di Badia, Florence, Republic of Florence
Commissioned by Florence to lecture on Dante’s Commedia, Boccaccio delivered his first public lecture at Santo Stefano di Badia. Coordinates identify Badia Fiorentina, the church customarily associated with Santo Stefano di Badia.
Death at Certaldo
· Certaldo, Republic of Florence
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Boccaccio died at Certaldo after years troubled by severe illness.