“Books have led some to learning and others to madness. » – Francesco PetrarcaSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayFrancesco Petrarca was many things, including a traveler, a poet, and a humanist. He was a father and ultimately a grandfather who lived in Italy. He was born on July 20, 1304 and died on the same day 70 years later. He decides to Latinize his name and changes it to Petrarca. Petrarca was a very influential person in his time. Petrarca was nicknamed "the first tourist" because he traveled a lot just for fun. On April 26, 1336, Petrarch, his brother and two servants climbed Mont Ventoux. He did it just for pure pleasure. He was inspired by Philip V of Macedon who was, according to one of his friends, the first and only person to reach the summit of the mountain. He was the first person recorded to have climbed a mountain solely for the view at the top. Petrarch was not only a tourist, but also a very talented poet. Francesco Petrarca was a very talented and influential poet during his lifetime. In April 1327, he met someone who would haunt him for the rest of his life. Her name was Laura. Petrarch fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. There was only one problem, Laura and Petrarch were already married but not to each other. This did not stop Petrarch, he continued to write love poems about her, but also to write poems about the anguish he experienced after the rejection. et ardo, et son un ghiaccio': 'I find no peace, and yet I make no war:/and fear, and hope: and burn, and I am ice'. I believe that his views on man-made wonders and his knowledge of people through his poetry truly influenced and enhanced his abilities as a humanist. Petrarca was a very competent humanist, not only in his time, but even today. Humanism is today defined as “a vision or system of thought attaching primary importance to human questions rather than divine or supernatural questions.” However, during the Renaissance era, a humanist was a person highly educated in the humanities. Petrarch is considered the father of humanism. Petrarca studied human thoughts and actions, as well as the potential of humans and what they could do. Even as a member of the Church, Petrarca saw nothing in his humanist beliefs that conflicted with his Catholic beliefs. For many, Petrarch is considered the father of humanism and I agree with them. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As the essay shows, Petrarch was a very important traveler. , Renaissance poet and humanist. He loved to travel just for fun. He was a very competent poet as well as a wonderful humanist. After all, he climbed a mountain for the view, wrote love poems to an already married woman and is considered the father of humanism. I believe Francesco Petrarca was a perplexing person who impacted people's lives for over 700 years..