Francesco Petrarca

Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch, was not only a poet, but also a great scholar. In both roles, he was very influential: his Italian-language poetry stood at the basis of Petrarchism, while his classical orientation led to humanism. Among his many works in Latin, over six hundred Epistolae familiares occupy an important place: they are deeply personal letters in which the author (a true homo litteratus) is central to every page.