The Decameron

The Decameron

by

Giovanni Boccaccio

Francesca de’ Lazzari Character Analysis

In Filomena’s ninth tale (IX, 1), Francesca de’ Lazzari is a young and beautiful widow of Pistoria who wants to rid herself of her two admirers, Rinuccio Palermini and Alessandro Chiarmontesi. But to do so without shame, she needs a good reason, so she sets each an impossible task and dismisses them when they fail. She demonstrates the proper way for a woman to get rid of an unwanted lover like Madonna Piccarda (VIII, 4) and in implied contrast to Elena (VIII, 7).
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Francesca de’ Lazzari Character Timeline in The Decameron

The timeline below shows where the character Francesca de’ Lazzari appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 9: First Tale
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...as entering tombs and dressing up as corpses. In Pistoia, a beautiful young widow named Francesca de’ Lazzari is courted by two refugees from Florence, Alessandro Chiarmontesi and Rinuccio Palermini. Because she incautiously... (full context)
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On the day of Francesca de’ Lazzari ’s inspiration, a recently deceased man called “Scannadio” has been buried nearby. He was a... (full context)
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Alessandro Chiarmontesi and Rinuccio Palermini each say they’re ready to go into Hell itself for Francesca de’ Lazzari , who waits to see what will happen. Heading to Scannadio’s tomb, Alessandro is scared... (full context)
Love and Sex Theme Icon
...the law or the man’s family. But he’s determined to honor this first request from Francesca de’ Lazzari , even if it means his death. At the tomb, he hoists Alessandro Chiarmontesi over... (full context)
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Watching from a window, Francesca de’ Lazzari is somewhat impressed by each man’s bravery, but she also laughs when they run away... (full context)