Master Alberto appears in Pampinea’s first story (I, 10). He is an old but brilliant Bolognese physician, based on one of Giovanni Boccaccio’s contemporaries, a doctor named Alberto de’ Zancari. He falls in love with Malgherida de’ Ghisolieri despite his age, and when she and her friends mock him, he chastises them with some cuttingly clever remarks. He demonstrates the value placed on witty repartee throughout The Decameron and contributes to its arguments that one’s character matters more than things like class, wealth, or age.
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Master Alberto Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Master Alberto appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 1: Tenth Tale
Master Alberto, a brilliant but elderly physician, is so consumed by passion for a young widow named...
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Alberto answers that although older men may lack the sexual prowess of the youth, they have...
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