Francis Petrarch | |
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![]() Portrait by Altichiero, c. 1370–1380 | |
Born | Francesco di Petracco 20 July 1304 Comune of Arezzo |
Died | 19 July 1374 Arquà, Padua | (aged 69)
Resting place | Arquà Petrarca |
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Nationality | Aretine |
Education | |
Period | Early Renaissance |
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Notable works | |
Notable awards | Poet laureate of Rome, 1341 |
Children | Giovanni (1337–1361) Francesca (born in 1343) |
Parents | Ser Petracco (father) Eletta Canigiani (mother) |
Relatives | Gherardo Petracco (brother) Giovanni Boccaccio (friend) |
Francis Petrarch (/ˈpɛtrɑːrk, ˈpiːt-/; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; Latin: Franciscus Petrarcha; modern Italian: Francesco Petrarca [franˈtʃesko peˈtrarka]), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance and one of the earliest humanists.[1]
Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited with initiating the 14th-century Italian Renaissance and the founding of Renaissance humanism.[2] In the 16th century, Pietro Bembo created the model for the modern Italian language based on Petrarch's works, as well as those of Giovanni Boccaccio, and, to a lesser extent, Dante Alighieri.[3] Petrarch was later endorsed as a model for Italian style by the Accademia della Crusca.
Petrarch's sonnets were admired and imitated throughout Europe during the Renaissance and became a model for lyrical poetry. He is also known for being the first to develop the concept of the "Dark Ages".[4]