I have to admit to not having read all of Boccaccio's Decameron, though I know some of his tales got re-cycled via Chaucer and Shakespeare and were also featured in Victorian era poetry and painting.

But I was reminded that the book relates to an outbreak of disease in some ways not unlike the one we are seeing nowadays. Because the characters tell their stories to pass the time while fleeing the plague in Florence.

But in these sad days of Coronavirus, a modern sort of plague, maybe a thread summarising some his stories might be amusing. And possibly showing how some of the plots or themes may be found in 'folk song'. Maybe people might even write their own ballads based on his plots and using well-known ballad tunes? Though that is a big ask. But some of us may be spending some time in self isolation, so perhaps worth thinking about?

https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/texts/DecShowText.php?myID=d01intro&expand=empty&lang=eng


http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3726

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13102

Stay well everybody, especially those like myself in the older age bracket and more at risk from Corona virus.