Communication in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was
mostly oral. Only gradually did the ability to read and write
grow, its growth being most notable among people in the cities.
In certain genres, the volgare (Italian vernacular) was used as
much as Latin. Gradually, more books were produced and more
people were able to read them. Of course, there was a
distinction among the literate; while religious texts, didactic
novellas and chronicles were written for everyone, only educated
people were able to read more complex works, such as treatises
on theology and rhetoric.  Orality remained an important
component even of written texts as they often had a simultaneous
oral diffusion (e.g. Dante's Comedy and the Decameron). In fact,
many works, both in poetry and prose, were composed specifically
for oral performances. Among these can be counted the various
exempla which were to be found commonly in sermons and which
eventually contributed to the development of the novella genre.
(G.S. G.P.)