On Famous Women

We know Giovanni Boccaccio primarily as the author of the Decameron; however, during the Renaissance and the Modern era, he was no less famous as the author of the book "On Famous Women" - the first collection of biographies in history dedicated exclusively to women. One hundred six stories about those who gained fame not as a result of marriage or motherhood, but thanks to their will, intellect, determination, cunning, valor, beauty, and strength - contradicted the established notion of the secondary role of women in history.
Boccaccio's unwavering humor, irony, and profound erudition gave rise to a provocative book, the debates about which continued for several centuries.
Translated from Latin. Published in Russian for the first time. Miniatures from the French manuscript of 1496 by the master Testar Robine, the German edition by Johannes Zainer of 1474 from the printing house of Johannes Zainer, and the printed edition of Ioannis Boccatii de Certaldo insigne opus De claris mulieribus 1539, Bernae Helvet are used as illustrations.