De Mulieribus Claris


De Mulieribus Claris or De Claris Mulieribus is a collection of biographies of historical and mythological women by the Florentine author Giovanni Boccaccio, composed in Latin prose in 1361–1362. It is the first collection devoted exclusively to biographies of women in post-ancient Western literature. At the same time as he was writing On Famous Women, Boccaccio also compiled a collection of biographies of famous men, De Casibus Virorum Illustrium.

The famous women

Primary sources

  • Boccaccio, Poeet Ende Philosophe, Bescrivende van den Doorluchtighen, Glorioesten ende Edelsten Vrouwen
  • Boccaccio, Tractado de John Bocacio, de las Claras, Excellentes y Mas Famosas y Senaladas Damas
  • Boccaccio, De la Louenge et Vertu des Nobles et Cleres Dames
  • Boccaccio, De Preclaris Mulieribus
  • Boccaccio, De Preclaris Mulieribus
  • Boccaccio, De Mulieribus Claris
  • Boccaccio, De Mulieribus Claris
  • Boccaccio, ''French translation''

Secondary sources

  • Schleich, G. ed., Die mittelenglische Umdichtung von Boccaccio De claris mulieribus, nebst der latinischen Vorlage, Palaestra
  • Wright, H.G., ed., Translated from Boccaccio's De Claris Mulieribus, Early English Text Society, Original series w/Latin
  • Guarino, G. A., Boccaccio, Concerning Famous Women
  • Zaccaria, V., ed., De mulieribus claris with Italian translation
  • Branca, V., ed., Tutte le opere di Giovani Boccaccio, volume 10
  • Zaccaria, V., ed., De mulieribus claris, Studi sul Boccaccio
  • Müller, Ricarda, Ein Frauenbuch des frühen Humanismus. Untersuchungen zu Boccaccios De mulieribus claris,
  • Kolsky, S., Ghost of Boccaccio: Writings on Famous Women,
  • Franklin, M., Boccaccio's Heroines: Power and Virtue in Renaissance Society
  • Filosa, E., ''Tre Studi sul De mulieribus claris''