Petrarch Demographics:- Name - Francesco Petrarca (known in English as Petrarch)
- Born - July 20, 1304
- Birthplace - Garden Street, city of Arezzo.
- Died - July 19, 1374
- Place of Death - Arquà, near Padua in Italy
- Occupation - Italian scholar, poet.
- Father - Ser Petracco (Lawyer).
- Son - Giovanni (born 1337) died of the plague in 1361.
- Daughter - Francesca (born in 1343).
- One of the earliest Renaissance humanists.
- Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism".
- Petrarch was also known for being one of the first people to refer to the "Dark Ages".
- His brother was the only one of 35 monks left alive in his monastery following an outbreak of the plague.
- Petrarch, referring to the plague, predicted that generations to come would not believe tales of such horrors.
- He watched many of those close to him die of the plague, and listed Giovanni Boccaccio (A.D. 1313-1375) as his only surviving friend.
- The image opposite is a portrait of Petrarch (ca. 1450).
- Early childhood was spent in the village of Incisa, near Florence.
- Petrarch lived much of his early life at Avignon & Carpentras.
- His family moved to Avignon to follow Pope Clement V (moved there in 1309 to begin the Avignon Papacy).
- He studied law at Montpellier (1316–20) & Bologna (1320–23) at his father's insistance.
- Petrarch, however, was mostly interested in writing & Latin literature.
- Petrarch was a prolific letter writer and counted Boccaccio among his friends.
- He traveled widely in Europe and served as an ambassador and has been called "the first tourist"
- Petrarch is credited with creating the concept of a historical "Dark Ages".
- In later years he spent his time journeying through northern Italy as an international scholar & poet-diplomat.
- Around 1368, Petrarch & his daughter (with family) moved to Arquà , near Padua, where he spent his remaining years in religious contemplation.
- Petrarch was an enthusiastic Latin scholar, writing mostly in Latin.
- His works contributed to the creation & structure of the modern Italian language.
- His first large scale work, Africa, was an epic in Latin about the great Roman general Scipio Africanus, though it was never finished.
- Petrarch is best known for his Italian poetry, particularly the Canzoniere & the Trionfi ("Triumphs").
- Petrarch's sonnets have been admired & imitated throughout Europe during the Renaissance; becoming a model for lyrical poetry.
- Secretum ("My Secret Book") - a very personal, guilt-laden imaginary dialogue with Augustine of Hippo.
- De Viris Illustribus ("On Famous Men") - a series of moral biographies.
- Rerum Memorandarum Libri - an incomplete treatise on the cardinal virtues.
- De Otio Religiosorum ("On Religious Leisure") - praising contemplative life.
- De Vita Solitaria ("On the Solitary Life") - praising contemplative life.
- De Remediis Utriusque Fortunae ("Remedies for Fortune Fair and Foul") - self-help book which remained popular for centuries.
- Itinerarium ("Petrarch's Guide to the Holy Land") - a travel guide.
- Carmen Bucolicum - collection of 12 pastoral poems.
- Epistolae familiares & Seniles - 2 books containing many letters.
Homer, Petrarch relates, "was dumb to him, while he was deaf to Homer".Petrarch & Philosophy:
"In my younger days I struggled constantly with an overwhelming but pure love affair – my only one, and I would have struggled with it longer had not premature death, bitter but salutary for me, extinguished the cooling flames. I certainly wish I could say that I have always been entirely free from desires of the flesh, but I would be lying if I did".
"O happy people of the future, who have not known these miseries and perchance will class our testimony with the fables." [writing about the plague]
- Petrarch is traditionally known as the "Father of Humanism".
- Some scholars even consider him to be the "Father of the Renaissance."
- Petrarch believed that God had given humans their vast intellectual & creative potential to be used to their fullest.
- Although Petrarch was a devout Catholic, he did not see a conflict between realizing humanity's potential & having religious faith.
- He was a highly introspective man, which lead to him tending to emphasize the importance of solitude & study.
- Later, Leonardo Bruni argued instead for the active life, or "civic humanism" which would subsequently influence a number of political, military, & religious leaders during the Renaissance.
Posted by ALCHEssMIST.
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