Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 – 21 December 1375) ias an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist.

Boccaccio writes a number of notable works, including The Decameron and On Famous Women.

As a poet who writse in the Italian vernacular, Boccaccio is particularly noted for his realistic dialogue, which differs from that of his contemporaries, medieval writers who usually follow formulaic models for character and plot.