Composed in the 1360s, Boccaccio's "De mulieribus claris" (Famous Women) was the first attempt at female biography in the history of post-classical Western literature. However, its humanistic credentials coexist uneasily with the remnants of medieval misogyny. This book - the first full-length study of "De mulieribus claris" in English - argues that it is essential to take into account the ideological complexities of early humanism confronted with the -woman question-. It seeks to unravel the difficulties of the text, looking at its genesis, sources, relations to other writings - including Boccaccio's vernacular works - its political dimensions, and its structure and methodology, to shed light on Boccaccio the humanist rewriting and rethinking his previous attitudes toward women."