Page 46 - SUMMARIES OF GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO’S DECAMEON : A Visionary Journey In 100 Stories And 100 Etchings By Petru Russu

Alessandro and the Abbot

In Florence, three brothers, Lamberto, Tebaldo, and Agolante, inherit a vast
fortune from their father, a wealthy knight. But youth and extravagance prove
a dangerous mix. They squander their inheritance on lavish living, open

hospitality, and indulgent pleasures. When their wealth dries up, they sell off their
possessions piece by piece until poverty forces them to flee to England, where
they rebuild their fortune through moneylending. For a time, fortune smiles again.
They return to Florence, reclaim their former status, and send their nephew
Alessandro to England to manage their affairs. But when civil war erupts,

Alessandro loses everything. His uncles, still living lavishly, fall into debt and
are thrown into prison. Alessandro, now destitute and alone, flees England and
begins the long journey home.

On the road, he encounters a traveling abbot and his entourage. The abbot,
dignified and mysterious, takes a liking to Alessandro and invites him to join
the party. They travel together, and Alessandro proves himself resourceful
and kind. One night, due to a lack of lodging, Alessandro is invited to sleep

in the abbot’s chamber. As the night unfolds, Alessandro begins to suspect
something unusual, the abbot is not a man at all. Indeed, the abbot reveals
herself to be a woman in disguise: the daughter of the King of England,

traveling to Rome to seek the Pope’s permission to avoid a politically arranged
marriage. Moved by Alessandro’s honesty and resilience, she proposes
marriage. Alessandro, stunned but deeply touched, accepts.

In Rome, the princess reveals her identity to the Pope and pleads for his
A VIVID ENTANGLEMENT OF
blessing. Though scandalized at first, the Pope relents, and the couple is
REGAL GEOMETRY AND MYTHIC
UNREST, THE PIECE CONJURES married with honor. Alessandro’s new bride pays off his uncles’ debts and
HIDDEN IDENTITIES AND SACRED frees them from prison, restoring their fortune and dignity. The couple
CROSSROADS, SUGGESTING
then travels to England, where Alessandro wins favor with the royal court
A TALE WHERE LOVE BLOOMS
BENEATH LAYERED VEILS OF FATE. and begins a new life of prosperity and peace.
DECAMERON 44 45