Page 34 - SUMMARIES OF GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO’S DECAMEON : A Visionary Journey In 100 Stories And 100 Etchings By Petru Russu

The Transformation of Master Herminio

In Genoa, Messer Ermino de’ Grimaldi is known far and wide, not for his
nobility or wisdom, but for his staggering wealth and equally staggering
miserliness. Though he lives in a grand estate and commands respect by

title, his reputation is tarnished by his refusal to share even the smallest
coin. His avarice is so notorious that it becomes a subject of gossip and
ridicule among the well-traveled and well-spoken.

Enter Guglielmo Borsiere, a gentleman of refined manners and sharp wit, who

arrives in Genoa and is invited to Messer Ermino’s estate. The house is lavish,
but the atmosphere is cold, lacking the warmth of true hospitality. Guglielmo,
accustomed to the grace of generous hosts, finds the experience hollow.

During their conversation, Messer Ermino, perhaps out of vanity or
genuine curiosity, asks Guglielmo what he thinks could be done to
improve his life. Guglielmo, without missing a beat, replies with a
disarming smile: “To rid yourself of avarice.” The words, though simple,

land like a thunderclap.

The remark stuns Messer Ermino. No one had ever dared to speak so

plainly to him. Yet Guglielmo’s tone is not cruel, it’s honest, almost
compassionate. The moment sparks something unexpected in the old
man: reflection. He begins to see his wealth not as a fortress, but as a
HARNESSING FRACTURED prison. The emptiness of his riches, unshared and unloved, gnaws at him.
GEOMETRY AND ASCETIC
ABSTRACTION, THE IMAGE
CONTRASTS JEWEL-TONED Moved by Guglielmo’s candor and perhaps ashamed of his legacy,
AUSTERITY WITH VIBRANT Messer Ermino begins to change. He opens his doors to guests, offers
GESTURE, INVOKING A SYMBOLIC aid to the poor, and becomes a patron of the arts and letters. His
PURGING OF GREED THROUGH
SPIRITUAL VERTICALITY AND transformation astonishes the city, and his name, once synonymous
MORAL RECALIBRATION. with greed, becomes a symbol of redemption.
DECAMERON 32 33