Villani, Giovanni (c. 1276-1348)
The outstanding chronicler of medieval Florence. Although he claimed to have experienced a Gibbon-like inspiration to write while at the Roman Jubilee of 1300, the bulk of his chronicle was not put into its final form until 1333-41, continuing until just before his death from the plague of 1348. A banker who knew little Latin, Villani skilfully wove together biblical and classical strands so as to place the rise of Florence, 'the daughter of Rome', firmly in the context of world history as understood at the time. Being written in an attractive vernacular, the chronicle achieved an instant success and has influenced every writer on Florence from Dante, who knew the first 4 books, down to the present day. Modern commentators have been impressed by Villani's grasp of statistics, as shown in his description of the state of Florence in 1338, and by the tension between his detailed reporting of political and economic misfortunes and his belief in divine providence.
