Ermino de’ Grimaldi appears in Lauretta’s first tale (I, 8), where he appears to be a fictionalized character based on a historical family, the ancient and powerful Genoese Grimaldis. He is an extremely wealthy miser who spends as little of his fortune on himself and others as he can. He thus represents the antithesis of the noble generosity celebrated throughout The Decameron and must learn the error of his ways from Guiglielmo Borsiere.
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Ermino de’ Grimaldi Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Ermino de’ Grimaldi appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 1: Eighth Tale
...picks up on the theme of greed and rebuke with the tale of Ermino de’ Grimaldi, the wealthiest and most miserly Italian of his day, also known as “Ermino Skinflint.” While...
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Guiglielmo visits Grimaldi because he’s curious about the miser’s reputation. Grimaldi seeks his advice on the image he...
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