Petrarch and the Renaissance

Francesco Petrarch, often considered the first modern poet, was also one of the first humanists. Throughout his life he was a seeker of the classics and was instrumental in introducing them to his contemporaries. He is seen as a forerunner of the Renaissance.
He was born in 1304 in Arezzo and died in Arqua in 1374. His family moved several times in his young life before settling down near Avignon. His father wanted him trained as a lawyer and he did begin that training in Montpellier and Bologna. Upon the death of his father in 1326 however, Petrarch left his law studies and returne…