Francesco Vergellesi Character Analysis in The Decameron

Francesco Vergellesi appears in Elissa’s third tale (III, 5). This character is based on an early contemporary of Giovanni Boccaccio who did become podesta (leader) of Lombardy in the early 14th century. In The Decameron, he is wealthy and judicious, but also very arrogant and mean. He tries to manipulate Zima’s affection for Francesco’s Wife to get a fine horse from him for free, for instance. But his obstinacy allows Zima to demonstrate the day’s theme of perseverance, and doesn’t prevent his cuckolding in the end.

Francesco Vergellesi Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Francesco Vergellesi or refer to Francesco Vergellesi. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Dearest beloved, since I am yours and you alone have the power to fortify my soul with some vestige of hope as I languish in the fiery flames of love, I beseech you, as your most humble servant, to show me some mercy and mitigate the harshness you have been wont to display towards me in the past. Your compassion will console me, enabling me to claim that it is to your beauty that I owe, not only my love, but also my very life, which will assuredly fail unless your proud spirit yields to my entreaties, and then indeed people will be able to say that you have killed me. Now, leaving aside the fact that my death would not enhance your reputation, I believe, also, that your conscience would occasionally trouble you and you would be sorry for having been the cause of it.

Related Characters: Zima (speaker), Francesco Vergellesi, Francesco’s Wife

Page Number and Citation: 224

Explanation and Analysis:

Francesco Vergellesi Character Timeline in The Decameron

The timeline below shows where the character Francesco Vergellesi appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Francesco Vergellesi is wealthy, shrewd, and arrogant. When he is appointed Governor of Milan, he finds... (full context)

In exchange for the horse, Zima asks Francesco for permission to speak a few words in private to his wife. Francesco readily agrees... (full context)

Previously, Francesco’s Wife has never appreciated Zima’s advances, but in listening to his speech, she is moved... (full context)

After Zima leaves Francesco’s Wife, he complains to Francesco that he may as well have been talking to a... (full context)