Petrach, Francesco (1304-1374)


  Francis Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) was born in Arezzo on July 20, 1304, firstborn of Pietro di Parenzo di Garzo, «Ser Petracco dell'Incisa» (today Incisa in Val d'Arno near Florence), and Eletta Canigiani; Ser Petracco, a notary linked to Dante for political reasons, had been banished from Florence in 1302. In 1305, they returned to the family home in Incisa and remained there until they moved to Pisa in 1311. A second son, Gherardo, was born in 1307.
In 1312, Ser Petracco and his family settled in Carpentras, near Avignon, the new holy See. Petrarch studied with Convenevole del Prato and met Guido Sette, with whom he remained friends for life. In 1316, he began to study law in Montpellier. Four years later, Gherardo and Petrarch continued with their law studies at the university of Bologna, quitting their studies upon their father's death in 1326.
They then returned to Avignon and lived a courtly life until their inheritance ran out. They received minor orders: Gherardo became a Chartreux monk in 1343 while Petrarch entered in the service of Giacomo Colonna, named bishop of Lombez (Gascony) in 1330, then of cardinal Giovanni Colonna, his older brother, as capellanus continuus commensalis , position he held from 1326 to 1347. Moreover, he was named canon at the cathedral of Lombez (Gascony) in 1335, at the cathedral of Pisa in 1342, at the cathedral of Parma in 1346 and at the cathedral of Padua in 1349. When he left Vaucluse for the last time in 1353, he settled in Milan where he entered in the service of archbishop Giovanni Visconti then of Bernabò and Galeazzo Visconti for 8 years.
On April 6 1327, Petrach met Laure de Noves in the church of Sainte-Claire d'Avignon. Although she really did exist, it is sometimes doubted that she is the same Laura refered to by Petrarch in numerous sonnets of the Canzoniere . In 1336 he became friends with Philippe de Cabassoles, bishop of Cavaillon. The same year, he climbed Mont Ventoux with his brother, but it was not until 1342 or 1343, during a spiritual crisis, that Petrarch decided to live an austere life.
A son, Giovanni, was born in Avignon in 1337 and a daughter, Francesca, was born in Vaucluse in 1343, from an unknown woman. Giovanni died of the plague in 1361. Francesca married Francescuolo da Brossano who was named executor of Petrarch's testament. In 1362, shortly after the birth of a daughter, Eletta, they joined Petrarch in Venice, Riva degli Schiavoni, to flee the plague. A second grandchild, Francesco, whom Petrarch adored, was born in 1366, but died less than 2 years later.
P etrarch travelled often: in 1333, he went to Paris, Ghent, Liège, Aix-la-Chapelle and Cologne. In 1337 he travelled to Flanders and the Brabant, then he travelled to Rome where he met Stefano Colonna. In 1347, he visited his brother at the monastery in Montrieux. In 1350, he went to Rome for the Jubilee. In 1358, he stayed in Padua and Verona for a few months. In 1365, he was in Pavia.
I n 1340, Petrarch received an offer for a poetic crowning from the university of Paris and the senate in Rome at the same time; he accepted Rome's offer. He first reached Naples to answer king Robert d'Anjou's questions on poetry then on April 8 1341, Orso dell'Anguillara, a roman noble, gave him the poetic crowning at the Capitol in Rome.
I n 1343 he went to Italy as papal ambassador to Giovanna I, queen of Naples. Other diplomatic missions took him all over Europe: among others, in 1350, he was in Ferrara, Carpi, Mantua and Verona, in 1353 he was ambassador in Venice, in 1354 and in 1356, he was in Mantua and in Prague with Charles IV, in 1361, he was ambassador to king Jean Le Bon in Paris. In 1370, he began to travel to Avignon to meet with the king, but in Ferrara he was forced to return home because of poor health.
Petrarch returned to Vaucluse often, sometimes even to avoid war, namely, the Gonzaga and Visconti siege in Parma in 1346. However, Petrarch eventually wished to get closer to Cola di Rienzo who was in Rome; he made his way to Genoa, and sent him a letter of admonition before returning to Parma.
At that time, the plague was raging in Europe and Petrarch learned of the deaths of several friends, one of whom was Laura, who died on April 6, 1348 at the same hour they had met. The deaths were noted in Petrarch's manuscripts, among others, Giovanni Colonna, Senuccio del Bene, Franceschino degli Albizzi and his «Socrates» (Ludwig Van Kempen).
I n 1349, he met Jacopo Da Carrara and became friends with the bishop of Padua, Ildebrandino Conti. The following year, during a stay in Florence, he met Boccaccio, Francesco Nelli, Lapo da Castiglionchio and Zanobi da Strada. Boccaccio became a close friend for the rest of his life and was even one of the heirs named in Petrarch's will. In 1367, Petrarch became friends with Giovanni Dondi and Lombardo della Seta who finished copying the De Viris illustribus for Francesco Da Carrara.
In 1367, Petrarch settled in Padua and eventually retired in Arquà with his daughter and son-in-law 3 years later. Petrarch died in Arquà, during the night of July 18-19 1374. He was buried in the parish church; six years later, his remains were transferred to a sarcophagus built in Arquà by his son-in-law.