The Italian poet Francesco Petrarca is one of the greatest representatives of the Proto-Renaissance. Petrarch dedicated more than three hundred sonnets to a girl named Laura, whom he met once in his youth. The history of this unrequited love has been admirable for many centuries, although there are still disputes about the name of Laura and about her fate in general.
Early years and meeting with Laura
Francesco Petrarca was born on July 20, 1304 in Italy. When Francesco was young, his parents often moved from province to province. Finally, they settled in the town of Avignon, which is located on the territory of modern France. Here Petrarch received an excellent primary education - he perfectly mastered the Latin language and got acquainted with the best examples of Roman literature. And in 1319, the future poet began, at the insistence of his father, to study law. To this end, he entered the University of Bologna. It quickly became clear that the young man was absolutely indifferent to the law, he was much more interested in writing. Therefore, he never got the chance to become a lawyer.
In 1326 (after his father died), he left the University of Bologna and took holy orders. In addition, in order to provide himself with the means of living, Petrarch became close to the influential and wealthy Colonna family. This step had its own prerequisites: one of the representatives of this family - Giacomo Colonna - was a friend of Francesco at the university.
The next year, 1327, in the spring, he saw Laura for the first time. This key event in the poet's biography took place on April 6 near one of the temples of Avignon. Petrarch noticed how a noble lady in a black outfit came out of the church. Raising her veil for a second, she glanced at Petrarch, and he managed to remember her beautiful face. Laura already had a husband, and therefore could not become the poet's wife. Francesco's relationship with this lady was strictly platonic. At the same time, he had quite real, physical connections with other women, and even children from them.
Thanks to his high patrons and literary fame, Petrarch was able to acquire a house in a quiet place - in the valley of the Sorgue River, in the town of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (this is also the territory of present-day France). It was in this house that he lived for almost sixteen years - from 1337 to 1353.
Receiving a laurel wreath and the last years of Petrarch's life
Petrarch was undoubtedly lucky - his talent was appreciated by his contemporaries. He received invitations from Paris, Rome, and also Naples - the addressees from these cities wished that it was with them that Petrarch would be awarded as the best poet. Petrarch eventually chose Rome, and on Easter 1341 it was crowned with fanfare with a laurel wreath right on the Capitol. Some scholars believe that it is from this event and from this date that the beginning of the Renaissance should be counted.
The news of the death of his beloved Laura Petrarch received on May 19, 1348 - at that moment he was on his way to Parma. Despite the fact that the poet's house was in Vaucluse, he often traveled to Italy and was able to acquire connections and interesting acquaintances here. For example, during one of his travels, he met the author of The Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio.
In 1353, Petrarch decided to leave France for good and settle in Upper Italy. At first he lived in Milan, at the court of the local ruler - Giovanni Visconti. But in 1361, the poet was forced to leave this city due to the raging plague there. Over the past thirteen years, he has changed several more places of residence. And Petrarch died in the small village of Arqua, which is not far from Padua. Death overtook him in the summer of 1374 - in the library, at the table, with a pen in his hand.
