Tunis, departure point of the princess serves as both a royal setting from which marriage and political promises shape a tragic voyage, and a destination where captivity can give way to favor and reunion. Its stories connect court decisions, sea travel, and private attachments across the Mediterranean, though their outcomes sharply differ: Gerbino’s attempted rescue ends in death, while Costanza’s search for Martuccio ends in marriage and return.

Royal Setting and the Princess’s Marriage

In the tale of Gerbino, Tunis is the kingdom of the princess whose beauty and character become widely known beyond her father’s court. She hears accounts of Gerbino’s prowess and courtesy and falls in love with him without having seen him. Gerbino, in turn, hears of her beauty and worth and becomes enamored through report. A merchant acting as messenger carries their declarations between them, and the princess sends Gerbino a precious jewel as a token of her affection.

Their hopes are interrupted when the King of Tunis gives his daughter in marriage to the King of Granada. The princess fears that the match will separate her from Gerbino, and Gerbino considers taking her by force if she travels by sea. The King of Tunis, having learned something of Gerbino’s intentions, seeks an assurance from King Guglielmo II of Sicily that the voyage will not be hindered. Unaware of Gerbino’s love and plan, the older king gives his word and sends a glove as a token of that promise.

The Sea Voyage and Gerbino’s Attack

When the princess learns that her departure is imminent, she secretly sends a servant to Palermo to tell Gerbino that she will soon sail for Granada. Her message challenges him to prove the courage and love he has professed. Gerbino understands that his grandfather has pledged not to interfere, but he nevertheless arms two light galleys at Messina and waits off Sardinia for the princess’s ship.

The ship is equipped at Carthage for the passage to Granada. When it comes into view, Gerbino urges his companions to attack, offering them the ship’s riches while reserving the princess as the sole prize he seeks. The location’s royal arrangements have thus set a private vow against a public promise: Gerbino acts for love, but his attack violates the assurance King Guglielmo II of Sicily gave to the King of Tunis. The princess’s story makes Tunis a point of departure in political terms, while the actual ship is prepared at Carthage; the two places are connected in the episode but are not interchangeable.

Tunis as a Place of Captivity and Reunion

Tunis has a contrasting role in the story of Costanza and Martuccio Gomito. Costanza hears that Martuccio is dead and, overcome by despair, sets out alone in a boat. The wind carries her to Susa. She eventually discovers that Martuccio is alive in Tunis, where his counsel has earned him the king’s favor. She makes herself known to him, and he marries her; together they return to Lipari, wealthy.

Unlike Gerbino’s attempt to reach the princess by force, Costanza’s journey brings her to a reunion with a living lover whose standing has changed during their separation. The brief account locates Martuccio’s rise and their reunion at the Tunisian court, then carries the couple away from Tunis to a shared life in Lipari.

Narrative Significance

Across these tales, Tunis is not merely a point on a map: it is associated with a king’s authority over marriage and with a court whose favor can transform the prospects of a captive. The princess’s departure sets private love against a formal guarantee between rulers, and the resulting sea attack turns that conflict fatal. Costanza’s arrival, by contrast, completes a story of separation through recognition and marriage. Together, these episodes place Tunis within a network of voyages and political relationships, while giving the city distinct narrative meanings: a threshold to a doomed passage in one tale and the setting for a reunion in another.