Connecting Collections – Il Decamerone
Dr. Joseph Hone, Reader in Literature and Book History, shares his suspicions on the authenticity of two eighteenth century forgeries of seminal Italian literature Il Decamerone by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375).
The 1527 edition of Il Decamerone is a historically important printing of one of the most celebrated works of Italian literature. Written in the 14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375), an Italian writer and humanist, the book helped shape modern European literature. His storytelling influenced authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400), making it a cornerstone of Renaissance prose that blends wit, sensuality, and insight into human behaviour.
The work consists of 100 tales narrated over ten days by a group of young people who have retreated to the countryside outside Florence during the Black Death, the devastating plague that swept through Europe in the mid-14th century and killed millions. The stories explore themes of love, fortune, cleverness, and morality, often with humour and sharp social commentary.
By the early 18th century, Boccaccio’s Decamerone was not only a literary classic but also a collector’s item among scholars and aristocrats. The 1527 edition, printed by the heirs of Filippo di Giunta, a prominent Florentine printing family, is considered the definitive edition. The Giunta edition became the basis for subsequent interpretations and was highly prized, which led to forgeries, including the 1729 ‘Smith’ facsimile, of which Newcastle University holds two copies in the Rare Books (RB 853.15 BOC) and 18th Century Collection (18th C. Coll. 853.15 BOC).
The 1729 facsimile reprints are similar to the 1527 Giunta printing but do not hold up to close scrutiny. The paper is 18th century rather than 16th century; the typesetting is different, and the measurements of the text block are incorrect. This facsimile was printed by Angiolo Pasinello, the craftsman who ran the press, for Stefano Orlandelli, the publisher who organised and financed it. It was produced at the request of Joseph Smith, the English consul and collector of Italian art and books.
Some counterfeit editions were marketed to unsuspecting collectors as genuine 16th century printings, making authentication a crucial consideration for antiquarian book dealers today. One telling example comes from the facsimile held in the Rare Books collection in Newcastle University’s Special Collections & Archives, which contains marginal notes (seen below) indicating that a former owner initially believed the volume to be the original 1527 edition before later recognising it as the 1729 facsimile. This small detail illustrates just how easily collectors can be misled.
Dr Joseph Hone, Reader in Literature and Book History, shares his suspicions on the authenticity of the facsimiles held in Newcastle University Special Collections & Archives, in more detail in this Newcastle University Connecting Collections video.
