Allegories and Proverbs as Evidence of Genre Transformation in Vincenzo Brusantini’s Cento novelle (1554)

• In Event: Perspectives on Boccaccio

Abstract

“Cento novelle,” according to his author a “translation” of the Decameron, is a poetic rewriting of Boccaccio’s masterpiece, where different genres mingle together to create a work of intersection and contamination (Pettinelli 2004). Proverbs, a hybrid genre in between prose and poetry, exemplify Brusantini’s literary operation. Brusantini adapted the structure of Boccaccio’s original proverbs to the new genre, from the prose of the short stories to the poetry of the chivalric poem. The examination of a selection of proverbs highlights the effect of the metrical structure on them and the consequent restructuring of their syntax, ultimately showing their impact on the narrative and their role inside the octave. Moreover, paratextual elements, such as allegories at the beginning of each canto and proverbs at the end, emphasize Brusantini’s personal interpretation of a common trend in contemporary chivalric poems (Cieco da Ferrara’s “Mambriano,” Cassio da Narni’s “Morte del Danese,” Brusantini’s “Angelica innamorata”).

Author

• Daniela D'Eugenio, The Graduate Center, CUNY