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Petrarch crowned a poet on the Capitoline Hill in Rome

Francis Petrarch, born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters...

Francis Petrarch, born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists.

Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited with initiating the 14th-century Italian Renaissance and the founding of Renaissance humanism. In the 16th century, Pietro Bembo created the model for the modern Italian language based on Petrarch's works, as well as those of Giovanni Boccaccio, and, to a lesser extent, Dante Alighieri. Petrarch was later endorsed as a model for Italian style by the Accademia della Crusca.

Petrarch's sonnets were admired and imitated throughout Europe during the Renaissance and became a model for lyrical poetry. He is also known for being the first to develop the concept of the "Dark Ages".

Historical Significance

Francis Petrarch, born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists.

Events Before

  1. Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan '

    Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of Morocco and Yusuf I of Granada in the last Marinid invasion of the Iberian Peninsula

  2. Danish squire and national hero Niels Ebbesen kills German prince Gerhard III of Holstein in his bedroom, ending the 133

    Danish squire and national hero Niels Ebbesen kills German prince Gerhard III of Holstein in his bedroom, ending the 1332 to 1340 interregnum in Denmark

  3. Rotterdam is founded in the Netherlands

    Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.4 km2).

  4. English fleet destroys the French at the battle of Sluys (the Hundred Years' War)

    The Battle of Sluys, also called the Battle of l'Écluse, was a naval battle fought on 24 June 1340 between England and France.

  5. England and France sign a disarmament treaty

    England and France sign a disarmament treaty

Events After

  1. Count Hartmann II becomes the ruler of Vaduz, Liechtenstein

    Count Hartmann II becomes the ruler of Vaduz, Liechtenstein

  2. Fictional character of "The Hobbit" Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, Shire Reckoning

    Fictional character of "The Hobbit" Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, Shire Reckoning

  3. Pope Clement VI names John IV of Arkel as bishop of Utrecht

    Pope Clement VI names John IV of Arkel as bishop of Utrecht

  4. Arnošt of Pardubice becomes the first Archbishop of Prague (and the last bishop of Prague)

    Arnošt of Pardubice becomes the first Archbishop of Prague (and the last bishop of Prague)

  5. Pope Clement VI issues the Bull Unigenitus

    Pope Clement VI (Latin: Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death, in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope.

More from the 1340s

Black Death Massacre: Between 100 and 3,000 Jews are killed in Black Death riots in Erfurt, Germany; part of a wave of p

Black Death Massacre: Between 100 and 3,000 Jews are killed in Black Death riots in Erfurt, Germany; part of a wave of pogroms across Western Europe

Papal bull of Pope Clement VI issued during the Black Death states Jews are not to blame and encourages their protection

Papal bull of Pope Clement VI issued during the Black Death states Jews are not to blame and encourages their protection

Battle of Crécy: Edward III's English longbows defeat Philip VI's army south of Calais in northern France; cannons are u

Battle of Crécy: Edward III's English longbows defeat Philip VI's army south of Calais in northern France; cannons are used for the first time in battle

Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan '

Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of Morocco and Yusuf I of Granada in the last Marinid invasion of the Iberian Peninsula

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 8, 1341?
Francis Petrarch, born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited with initiating the 14th-century Italian Renaissance and the founding of Renaissance humanism. In the 16th century, Pietro Bembo created the model for the modern Italian language based on Petrarch's works, as well as those of Giovanni Boccaccio, and, to a lesser extent, Dante Alighieri.
Why is Petrarch crowned a poet on the Capitoline Hill in Rome significant?
Francis Petrarch, born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists.

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April 8 in HistoryYear 1341