Petrarch
FRANCESCO PETRAR- CA, an Italian poet; born in Arezzo, Italy, in 1304. His father, a friend of Dante, and, like him, an exile from Florence, settled afterward at Avignon, and brought him up to the law, for which he had no relish. He studied at Montpellier and Bologna and afterward returned to Avignon, where his deep, hopeless passion for the beautiful Laura gave shape and color to the rest of his life. Petrarch took part in the political affairs of his time, was the friend of popes and princes, and was employed in many im- FRANCESCO PETRARCH 1 portant negotiations. He rendered very. great service to literature and learning by his diligent researches for, and col lections of, ancient manuscripts and other remains; and by the gift of his books to the Church of St. Mark, Venice, he became the founder of its famous library. He was the friend of Boccaccio, who shares with him the honor of reviving classical literature, and of Rienzi. In 1341 Petrarch was crowned laureate in the capitol of Rome. Petrarch was at Rome during the Jubilee of 1350; lived afterward at Vaucluse, Milan, Padua, PETREL Venice, and, in 1370, removed to Arqua, in the Euganean Hills. His works are partly in Italian and partly in Latin.
His Italian "Sonnets," "Canzoni," and "Triumphs," all sweet, exquisite, glowing variations on one theme, Laura, have placed him as one of the most celebrated of poets. He modeled the Italian sonnet, and gave to it, and to other forms of lyrical poetry, an admirable polish, diction and melody. After long continued ill health, he died sitting among his books, July 18, 1374.