Non-human animals have a long history of being utilized to understand human nature, and both wild and domestic canines have been particularly intertwined with humanity since ancient times. This article examines the representation of animals, and specifically of dogs and wolves, in Boccaccio’s Decameron. The analysis posits Boccaccio’s canine portrayals as multifaceted in nature, serving as tools for the interpretation of human behavior and also reflective of shifting views on the purpose of animal portrayals in literature. The article explores these ideas, in part, through interpretation of Boccaccio’s canines in comparison to those in other sources, with an emphasis on Dante’s Divine Comedy. Given the fact that the Commedia hosts a proliferation of allegorical beasts whereas the Decameron focuses on portrayals of commonplace, living animals, one might expect significant differences in the texts’ treatment of dogs and wolves. Yet, although differences exist, a study of both texts reveals a common outlook on the canine family; and the Decameron’s treatment of dogs and wolves not only reflects that of the Commedia, but also the confluence of wolves and dogs with one another. The article’s primary subjects of discussion from the Decameron are the widely-read story of Nastagio degli Onesti’s otherworldly vision in V.8, and the lesser-known novella IX.7, featuring Talano d’Imole, his wife Margherita, and a brutal wolf attack. In addition to examining literary sources, the article touches upon hierarchical views of wild and domestic canines in daily life from the period for its analysis.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Cozzarelli, J. M., (2025), "Between Reality and Symbol: Fierce Dogs and Ferocious Wolves in the Decameron", HSSCommons: (DOI: )

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1. Quaderni d'italianistica

Original publication: Cozzarelli, Julia M. "Between Reality and Symbol: Fierce Dogs and Ferocious Wolves in the Decameron." Quaderni d'italianistica 38 (1): 2018. 109-[130]. DOI: 10.33137/q.i..v38i1.31149. This material has been re-published in an unmodified form on the Canadian HSS Commons with the permission of Iter Canada / Quaderni d'italianistica. Copyright © the author(s). Their work is distributed by Quaderni d'italianistica under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For details, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/.