The Decameron: sex, plague, and a medieval Love Island

Published: July 25, 2024, 11 p.m.

What would you do if your home town was ravaged by plague? Would you lock your doors and hide? Run for the hills? Or accept that the end was nigh and party? Boccaccio's The Decameron - a medieval bestseller written during the Black Death - considers all these options. With the launch of a new Netflix series based on the pivotal work, David Musgrove chats to historian Rebecca Bowen to find out more \u2013 and uncover why its author thought that risqu\xe9 stories could help people come to terms with the horror of the plague. \n\nYou can hear our podcast on medieval keep fit here: https://link.chtbl.com/-YbeDr31\n\nThe HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices