Navarre Heptameron

Heptameron is an unfinished collection of stories written by Marguerite de Navarre. The work was begun in 1542, and it was interrupted by the death of the author in 1549. It consists of 72 short stories, told over a period of 7 days by a group of ten travelers (five women and five men) who, because of the flood, took refuge at the Abbey in Serrance at the foot of the Pyrenees. It is expected that it will take ten days to repair the bridge which had been washed away by a river, and so to pass the time the travelers agree to each tell a story on each successive day. However death of Navarre prevented the completion of the 8th, 9th and 10th days.

The theme of all the stories is love. After finishing each story, the travelers argue about its meaning, and what guided the characters. They unmask their hidden motives and bad faith, which prompted them to deceive themselves.