1304–1374 · Arezzo, Italy · also known as Francesco Petrarca
Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) was a scholar, poet and the first great humanist, who helped revive the study of classical Latin. His Canzoniere, 366 poems mostly about his love for Laura, perfected the sonnet — the “Petrarchan sonnet” that Shakespeare and countless others imitated.
Begin with Canzoniere.
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Dante Alighieri · Giovanni Boccaccio · Niccolò Machiavelli · Alessandro Manzoni · Carlo Collodi · Luigi Pirandello · Primo Levi · Italo Calvino
Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) was a scholar, poet and the first great humanist, who helped revive the study of classical Latin. His Canzoniere, 366 poems mostly about his love for Laura, perfected the sonnet — the “Petrarchan sonnet” that Shakespeare and countless others imitated.
Canzoniere is usually considered Petrarch’s best-known work.
Most readers start with Canzoniere.
Both refer to the same writer.
Many of Petrarch’s works are in the public domain; we link to free editions below.