Boccaccio's Account of Francesca's Story

And thus, having artfully made the marriage contract, and having gone to Rimini, [Francesca] did not realize the deception until the morning next to the wedding, when she saw at her side Gian Ciotto. For this reason we must believe that, feeling deceived, she was irritated, and did not remove from her souls her love she already had for Paolo. It was never heard that later she was physically with him, except for what the author [Dante] writes on this. Possibly this may be true; but I believe that this is more likely a fiction on what could have happened than what the author knew it did.

And continuing in this familiarity, and since Gianni had gone to a land not too far away as podestà, Paolo and Madonna Francesca, without any suspicion, began to see each other. One of Gianni's faithful servant realized this and went to him telling what he knew, promising him, if he wanted, to let him touch and see it.

Gianni was very upset, and secretly returned to Rimini; and when this [servant] saw Paolo going into Madonna Francesca's room, he was brought to the door of the said room; where he could not enter because it was locked from the inside. He yelled at the woman, and forced the door. As Madonna Francesca and Paolo knew [who he was], Paolo tried to flee through a small opening that gave to a lower room, and thus cover, entirely or in part, his offense. He threw himself in this opening, telling the woman to open [the door].

But things did not go as planned: as he threw himself down, a brim of a collar he was wearing was caught in a nail that was in the wood of the opening. When the woman opened for Gianni, thinking that Paolo was not there, she wanted to apologize; Gianni entered and right away saw Paolo caught in the nail. He ran to him with a dagger in his hand to kill him, but the woman, realizing this, to prevent it from happening, ran between Paolo and Gianni. Then, what [Gianni] did not want to happen, did happen; that is, the dagger went through the woman's chest before reaching Paolo. Gianni was upset by this accident, since he loved the woman more than himself; he withdrew the dagger and again wounded Paolo killing him. Thus, leaving them both dead, he went away to his duties. Next morning, the two lovers, with much pity, were buried in the same tomb.