Julia Cozzarelli, Professor of Italian in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, has had an article published in the journal Quaderni d'Italianistica.
The article, "Between Reality and Symbol: Fierce Dogs and Ferocious Wolves in the Decameron," focuses on portrayals of canines in Italy's 14th century masterpieces by Giovanni Boccaccio and Dante Alighieri. The significance of animals in these texts is multifaceted, including their use as tools for the interpretation of human behavior, and as reflective of shifting views on the purpose of animal portrayals in literature at the time. The article explores these questions through a comparison of Dante's canines, which predate Boccaccio's by mere decades, with their counterparts in the Decameron.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20181107124717292