“Books have led some to learning and others to madness.” – Francesco Petrarca Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayFrancesco Petrarca was many things, including a traveler, a poet, and a humanist. He was a father and eventually a grandfather living in Italy. He was born on July 20, 1304 and died on the same day 70 years later. He decided to Latinize his name and changed it to Petrarch. Petrarch 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, together with his brother and two servants, climbed Mount 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 top of the mountain. He was the first recorded person to climb a mountain just for the view from the top. Petrarch was not just a tourist, but 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. Petrarca fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. There was only one problem, Laura and Petrarca were already married but not to each other. This, however, did not stop Petrarca, who continued to write love poems about her but also to write poems for the anguish he experienced after the rejection. «Peace I cannot find, and I have no need to make war;/and I fear, and I hope; and I burn, and I am ice': 'I find no peace, yet I do not wage war:/and fear, and hope: and I burn, and I am ice'. I believe his visions of man-made wonders and his learning about people through his poetry truly influenced and enhanced his capacity as a humanist. Petrarch was a very accomplished humanist, not only in his time, but also today. Humanism today is defined as: “A perspective or system of thought that places primary importance on human rather than divine or supernatural matters.” However, in the Renaissance, a humanist was a person highly educated in the humanities. Petrarch is considered the father of humanism. Petrarch studied human thoughts and actions, the potential of humans and what they could do. Even as a member of the church, Petrarch 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. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As seen from the essay, Petrarch was a very important traveler, poet and humanist of the Renaissance. He liked to travel just for the fun of it. 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 was considered the father of humanism. I believe that Francesco Petrarca was a disconcerting person who influenced people's lives for over 700 years.