Page 36 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 36
“Martellino“
Arrigo is a poor laborer in Trevisa who people believe the saint. They start beating him, and Marchese and
is a saint. When he dies, a series of miraculous things Stecchi have to get the watchman to keep the crowd
happen, so the beliefs are confirmed. People want to get from killing Martellino. Marchese and Stecchi allege that
close to his body so that they might be cured of illness Martellino had “cut their purses” like pick pocketing - so
or win favor with the new saint. It so happens that three that the watchman will save his life by taking him into
entertainers from Florence - Stecchi, Martellino and custody. But the crowds follow and some of the men
Marchese - show up in town during this exciting time. claim that Martellino cut their purses, too. Martellino says
They want to get a good look at Arrigo’s body, but the he’ll confess to the crime if the men can say when and
crowds are too intense. They need some kind of scheme where it happened. The men pick days that Martellino
to get through the crowds. Martellino comes up with wasn’t in the city. But the magistrate has a grudge against
one: he’ll pretend to be a paralyzed man who needs the Florentines and is tempted to hang Martellino just for
healing powers of the saint. So Stecchi and Marchese fun. Meanwhile, Marchese and Stecchi go back to their
truss him up on a stretcher and the crowd parts for lodgings and ask the landlord to help them. He sends
them. Martellino’s really playing up his part. The men them to Sandro, a Florentine living in Trevisa. Sandro takes
surrounding Arrigo’s body lift him up and lay him across them to the prince. The prince has a good laugh at their
the corpse. Martellino pretends like he’s been cured. expense, but in the end he goes to the magistrate and
Unfortunately for him, there’s another Florentine in the saves Martellino. He also feels sorry for their bad luck,
crowd who recognizes him and reveals the sacrilege to so he gives them each a new set of clothes (Martellino
the crowd. The mood immediately turns ugly and the definitely needs it). So the men return to Florence in one
crowd’s on the verge of lynching Martellino for mocking piece and richer by a new suit of clothes.
“Martellino” Retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
DECAMERON 36 <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/second-day-first-story>
