The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio

Comprised of 100 novellas told by ten men and women over a ten-day journey fleeing plague-infested Florence, the Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is an allegorical work famous for its bawdy portrayals of everyday life, its searing wit and mockery, and its careful adherence to a framed structure. The word "decameron" is derived from the Greek and means "ten days".