Giotto and Forese da Rabatta
Intro
- Storyteller: Panfilo
- Panfilo is going to one-up Neifile: his story will talk about genius hidden behind an ugly face.
Story
- Panfilo tells us about two physically repulsive dudes: Forese da Rabatta (a famous jurist) and Master Giotto, the famous medieval Italian painter.
- He describes Forese as "deformed" and "dwarf-like." Giotto is about as handsome. Harsh.
- Both men had homes in the northeast of Florence and one summer, they meet each other as they're returning back to the city.
- On top of their general ugliness, they're riding horses that look about to keel over.
- Then it starts to rain.
- They shelter for a while with a peasant friend, but when they realize it won't let up, they borrow some outerwear and decide to tough it out on the road.
- The two unattractive men—by now filthy and drenched—ride along for a while in silence.
- When Giotto finally speaks, Forese looks over at him. And then he bursts out laughing at the sight of his friend.
- Forese quips that no one who saw Giotto in that state would believe he was the greatest painter in the world.
- Giotto sees the opportunity and takes it. No stranger, he said, would believe that Forese could even know his ABCs, let alone be a brilliant legal mind!
- Forese hadn't guessed at his own homely appearance, leaving himself wide open to insult.