Tomaso Costo’s Fuggilozio (which translates roughly as “The Cure for Indolence”) is a collection of short stories first published in Naples, Italy, in 1596. As was common for such collections in pre-modern Europe, Costo included a frame narrative about a group of six gentlemen (soon joined by two ladies) who gather together for several days, at a friend’s beautiful home, and while away the time in virtuous activities, including telling each other stories. This kind of book had been quite common in Italy since the late 1200s, and had spread to many other parts of western Europe during the Renaissance. Some of Costo’s stories are retellings and revisions of pre-existing stories (a few going back to classical antiquity), while many others are original to his collection or significantly altered.
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