Chaucer was a great reader and he had an excellent memory. He learned to read Latin, French, Anglo-Norman and Italian. He knew a lot about literature, history and science.
The king often sent him to other countries on importatnt business for him. On two of these journeys Chaucer went to Italy – first to Genoa, in 1372, and then to Milan, in1378. People think that Chaucer became interested in Italian story-tellers on these journeys. He probably met the Italian writer, Boccaccio, when he was in Italy. We can be sure that he read Boccaccio’s book, the Decameron (1348-1358).
This is fine.
