Title

Planted in Tradition: Basil in Boccaccio's Decameron

Description

The fifth story on the fourth day of Boccaccio's "The Decameron" tells a harrowing story of love, loss, and grief. A woman named Lisabetta keeps her murdered lover's head in a pot of basil and mourns over it until it is finally taken from her, leading to her tragic death from a broken heart. The macabre nature of this tale has captivated other artists, poets, and writers for centuries as it explores the nature of love and grief and their effects on the human psyche, but the tale itself was inspired by a long cultural history of the uses of basil. This digital exhibit seeks to explore and understand the cultural, literary, and religious significance of basil in order to provide a deeper insight to Lisabetta's story and to "The Decameron" as a complete work.

Object Project created for HUST 324: Late Medieval and Renaissance Literature

Link to Project Website

list of authors

Mary Coleman

Gabrielle Neff

Becca Strom

Liz Ferry