CHAUCER'S ITALY

Geoffrey Chaucer might be considered the quintessential English writer, but he drew much of his inspiration and material from Italy. In fact without the tremendous influence of Petrarch and Boccaccio among others, the author of The Canterbury Tales might never have assumed his place as the 'father' of English literature. His life was eventful not only historically (after all he was born into the aftermath of the Hundred Years' War and lived through the Black Death) but also geographically. Owen takes us via Chaucer's capture at the siege of Rheims to his involvement in arranging the marriage of King Edward III's son Lionel in Milan and his missions to Genoa and Florence. Tracing Chaucer's journeys and his links to destinations such as Florence, Certaldo, Arqua, Pavia and Milan, Owen introduces us to the princes, knights and authors in whose circles Chaucer mixed. He vividly evokes descriptions of the Arezzo, Padua, and reveals the deep influence of Italy's people and towns on Chaucer's poems and stories. 216pp, map of Europe in the time of Chaucer circa 1360.