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Maddalena
In Lauretta’s fourth tale (IV, 3), Bertella and her twin Maddalena are the younger sisters of Ninetta. She runs away to Crete with them and her lover, Ughetto. But after the murders of Restagnone and Maddalena and the disappearance of Folco and Ninetta, Bertella and Ughetto are forced to confess to participating. They bribe the guards and escape to Rhodes, but nevertheless die ignoble and impoverished deaths there, in line with the day’s theme of unlucky lovers.
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Bertella Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Bertella appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 4: Third Tale
...on his return home. Ninetta and Maddalena are twins, and their younger sister is named Bertella. Ninetta loves a poor but noble-born man named Restagnone, and they’ve been carrying on an...
(full context)
...the Duke of Crete hears about the discovery of Maddalena’s corpse. He arrests Ughetto and Bertella, torturing them until they confess to being responsible with Falco for her death. They bribe...
(full context)
