Character Analysis
Blossoming Queen
Boccaccio tells us that he won't give the real names of the storytellers, because they might be embarrassed by the bawdy nature of some of the tales they either told or heard. Instead, he gives them pseudonyms that reflect their personalities, type, or function in the narrative.
For Pampinea, this is a compliment. Her name is an adaptation of the Italian "pampino," which means "vine leaf" and signifies "blooming or flourishing one." Boccaccio recycles the name from his Ameto and Petrarch's Bucolicum carmen.
It's probable that her "blooming" nature is due to the fullness of her maturity (she's the oldest of the brigata at the ripe age of 28) and at the height of her intelligence, wit and beauty. We can tell from her confidence and decisive speech that she's a born leader:
'What are we waiting for? What are we dreaming about? Why do we lag behind the rest of the citizens in providing for our safety?' (I.Introduction.15-16)
She's action-oriented. It's not surprising that she sets the journey in motion, proposes the storytelling game and tells some of the wittiest stories out of the hundred.
"I Have Given Some Thought to the Continuance of Our Happiness..."
It's Filomena (and then Elissa) who object to going on a trip outside of Florence by themselves—Pampinea, it seems, would have been perfectly fine to go on her own. She's clearly thinking of how they can do something to save themselves and she's not waiting to be rescued or led. Her resourceful and diplomatic personality allows her to seize the opportunity presented by the sudden appearance of the three men in the church, thereby overcoming Filomena's objections.
She's also clever enough to invoke a superstitious belief in Fortune to reassure the other women that it's okay to step out with three young men who are romantically involved with some of them:
'See how Fortune favors us right from the beginning, in setting before us three young men of courage and intelligence, who will readily act as our guides and servants if we are not too proud to accept them for such duties.' (I.Introduction.18)
Pampinea's self-sufficiency is apparent here, as she speaks of the men as "guides" and "servants," rather than referring to them as "the head of women" like Elissa (I.Introduction.17). She's a disciplined woman who puts a great deal of thought into self-governance and happiness. When they reach the first palace, it's Pampinea who suggests the division of labor to provide for their entertainment and proposes the storytelling game. The purpose in this, of course, is to prevent boredom and discontent. Not to mention sexual shenanigans. In depicting Pampinea as intelligent and perceptive, Boccaccio's giving women (at least some) a vote of confidence.
Lucky in Love
Pampinea's not only a paragon of wit and cleverness; she's also an example of a contented lover. Boccaccio provides little glimpses into the secret souls of his characters through the songs they sing at the conclusion of storytelling days. Pampinea's turn comes at the end of Day Two, when she sings the ballad "If 'twere not I, what woman would sing." It's a song of happy love, and the first lines confirm what we already know about Pampinea: contented, optimistic, confident, and in the good graces of everyone.
Love seems like the key to Pampinea's contentment (and leads us to believe that she's hooked up with Panfilo). We learn from her song that she hasn't had to suffer at all to earn her happiness:
'Love, the first day I felt thy fire
Thou sett'st before mine eyes a youth
Of such accomplishment
Whose able strength and keen desire
And bravery could none, in truth,
Find any complement.' (II.Conclusion.188)
Since she's found her man, she's not as distracted as the other young ladies might be and can concentrate on the situation at hand.
Pampinea's Stories
Pampinea tells the following stories:
Master Alberto of Bologna (I.10)
Alessandro and the Abbot (II.3)
King Agilulf and the Groom (III.2)
Friar Alberto and the Angel Gabriel (IV.2)
Gianni da Procida (V.6)
Cisti the Baker (VI.2)
Madonna Isabella and her Lovers (VII.6)
The Scholar and the Widow (VIII.7)
Talano d'Imolese and His Dreams (IX.7)
King Peter of Aragon and Lisa (X.7)