Lisabetta and the Pot of Basil

In this story human and nature are brought together in one macabre display. The novella tells the story of Lisabetta and the sad events that led her to care deeply for a terracotta pot of basil. What is so important about this plant and the pot that accompanies it? And why did Boccaccio choose basil instead of some other plant? We open our tour with a few lines from the novella...