Francis Petrarch was an Italian scholar, poet, and humanist born in 1304 in Arezzo, Italy. He studied in Montpellier and Bologna where he took an interest in writing, Latin literature, and law. In 1341, he was invited to Rome where he was crowned as poet laureate, and he wrote hundreds of sonnets and poems, two of his most famous being "Trionfi" and "Canzoniere". He was inspired by his unrequited love for Laura, a woman he met in 1327, and sought to capture human emotion in his works. Petrarch died in 1374 in Arqua, leaving behind a significant influence on literature

1. Francis Petrarch
By Sommer Smith

2. Born in 1304
in
Arezzo, Italy
Petrarch was born at the
beginning of the
Renaissance. He
became a widely known
scholar, humanist, and
poet.

3. Petrarch spent time studying in Montpellier
for several years, then moved on to study
in Bologna for two years. He took an
interest in writing, Latin literature, and law.

4. Father of
Humanism
“Five enemies of peace
inhabit with us /
avarice, ambition, envy, anger
, and pride; if these were to
be banished, we should
infallibly enjoy perpetual
peace.”

5. Easter Sunday, 1341
Petrarch was invited to Rome. On this day he was crowned
publicly as the poet Laureate and historian in the Capitol.

6. Fame
and
Fortune
Petrarch was most proud
of his writings in
Latin, especially his epic
poem Africa. Ironically, his
most read and well-loved
works are his
sonnets, which he
considered trifling. He
often wrote about human
emotion.

7. Petrarch wrote sonnets, essays, and poems by the
hundreds, but two of his most famous are the
“Trionfi” and the “Canzoniere.”
The “Trionfi” is a moral allegory, featuring six
figures: Love, Chastity, Death, Fame, Time, and
Divinity; the former being ultimately triumphant.
The “Conzoniere” is a compilation of sonnets with
themes of love and patriotism.

8. Meeting
Laura
On April 6, 1327 Petrarch was
attending church at Sainte-
Claire d'Avignon. There it is
said he first met a young
woman by the name of
Laura, the “most beautiful
woman he had ever seen.”
There has been some debate
as to whether Laura actually
existed, but some historians
are able to identify her with the
wife of Hugues de Sade

9. You’re the inspiration…
Whether fabricated or not, Laura inspired many of Petrarch’s
most famous lyrics and even provided the inspiration for many
of the pieces in the “Canzoniere.” If Laura truly existed
Petrarch’s love went unreciprocated and no relationship ever
came from his obsession.

10. July 18, 1374
Petrarch died in Arqua. He left behind his writing, and an
influence on writing and literature for hundreds of years to
come.

11. Sources
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/suspicion_is_the_cancer_of_friendship/325704.html
http://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=904
http://brbl-archive.library.yale.edu/exhibitions/petrarch/2.html
http://academic.reed.edu/english/courses/eng211/authorpages/petrarch.htm
http://stileantico.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/call-for-papers-early-modern-rome-2/
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11778a.htm
http://www.bonzasheila.com/stories/petrarchlaura.html
http://500px.com/photo/7491713