In 1348, an outbreak of the Black Death swept Florence, compelling those who could to flee the city and seek refuge in the countryside, where they would be less likely to contract the disease. In 1353, Giovanni Boccaccio completed his book of 100 tales told over ten evenings by seven women and three men who had quarantined themselves in a secluded villa in Fiesole. The book is one of the great classics of Italian literature and is now being re-read by people who find themselves in a similar situation. Boccaccio himself is the figure in the red cape on the left