The eight-episode limited series The Decameron premiered on Netflix on Thursday, July 25. It is a black comedy series set in 1348 in the Italian countryside. The narrative involves the Black Plague and its impact on Europe. As such, viewers want to know whether the series is based on a true story or a book.
Here is what we have discovered on the origin of The Decameron.
Is Netflix’s The Decameron based on a true story and real events?
No, The Decameron is not based on a true story. Series creator Kathleen Jordan came up with the idea in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They did so after noticing how detached from reality some celebrities can be.
In an interview with The New York Times, Jordon reflected on how the recent global pandemic influenced her show about the Black Death. She observed that despite the widespread deaths, the famous people of the world were only concerned about being stuck in their homes and called it “irritating and frustrating.”
Jordan wanted to create something that mirrored that particular moment in history. He desired something that underscores the “chasm between the haves and the have-nots.” She also had to self-censor as she didn’t want to seem too preachy while approaching these subjects.
Additionally, Jordan revealed to the same outlet that the writers watched the CBS reality series Survivor while working on the show, as the series was ultimately about “survival.”
Is The Decameron based on a book?
The Decameron is not a direct adaptation of any book. It draws inspiration from the namesake 14th-century collection of short stories by Giovanni Boccaccio. Set up as a frame story, Boccaccio’s book comprises 100 stories from 10 individuals (seven women and three men) after they retreated to a countryside villa during the plague.
The title refers to a combination of the Greek words for “ten” and “day” and translates to something like “ten-day [event].” It enunciates the time the characters in the frame story have to spin their yarns.
According to Jordan, the similarity between her show and Boccaccio’s book doesn’t exceed beyond the narrative framing. “I think an Italian medievalist will be disappointed if they come to this show expecting to see their favorite Decameron stories depicted,” she told The New York Times.
To sum it up, The Decamern is not based on real events. While it pulls certain aspects from the short story collection of the same name, it is mostly an original work.
