Writing and Reading Rubrics in the Renaissance Decameron

Rubrics, or headings, are a key component of the textual organization of Boccaccio’s Decameron, as well as a fundamental part of the material history of manuscript culture. Occupying a space which includes both the authorial text and its editorial construction, rubrics allow us to consider the ways in which page design reflects modes of premodern authorship and reading practices. This paper will bring together narratological analysis and material culture approaches to consider the way in which rubrics have played a vital role in shaping interpretation of the Decameron.