With 84 impressive miniatures from Rouen: one of the most popular works of the Early Renaissance in a magnificently illuminated luxury manuscript
Les Triomphes de Petrarque
Rouen (France) — Ca. 1500

Les Triomphes de Petrarque
Rouen (France) — Ca. 1500
An allegorical tale of the triumphs of love, chastity, glory, time, death, and eternity
The *Trionfi* by Francesco Petrarca (1304–74) was one of most popular works of the early Renaissance
A masterpiece of French illumination from Rouen with 84 impressive miniatures, complimented by 1,800 golden initials
Les Triomphes de Petrarque
- Petrarca: Triumphe
- I Trionfi di Francesco Petrarca
- Petrarch's Triumphs
- Franciscus Petrarca Trionfi gallice cum explicationibus
Short Description
Petrarch’s Trionfi counts among the most popular works of the great poet of the early Renaissance. The six chapter allegorical poem regarding the triumphs of good and beauty stands squarely in the tradition of his time and is simultaneously an expression of Petrarch’s literary creativity. In Vienna today, this manuscript originated from Rome at the turn of the 16th century, the Triumphs are presented and illustrated with gorgeous, large-format miniatures in the French translation.
Les Triomphes de Petrarque
Francesco Petrarca (1304–74), famous humanist, poet, and politician of the Italian Renaissance, is considered to be one of the most significant representatives of 14th century Italian literature. Petrarch – completely in the spirit of the Renaissance – took antiquity as a model and depicted man in the center of his worldview. The famous Trionfi, an allegorical poem, stand squarely in this tradition.
The Victory of the Good and Beautiful
This is a six-part verse poem in the form of triumphal depictions, a well-loved motif of Renaissance art as well, to be found e.g. in the countless triumphal processions. Here Petrarch extols the triumph of love, chastity, and glory, the triumph of time, the triumph of death over time, and the triumph of eternity. Intimate autobiographical references alternate with moralizing sections, and the Laura who Petrarch profoundly revered naturally stands at the center of the work.
The Masterful Poem in a Masterful Manuscript
The Vienna Trionfi-manuscript is a testimonial to the broad distribution of Petrarch’s poem. The Triumphs, this wonderfully allegorical Italian poem, is certainly not considered to be his most significant work, but is one of his most popular nonetheless. In this ambitious French translation of the Italian text – titled ***Les Triomphes de Petrarque*** – the significance of the Triumphs is made apparent. The gorgeous manuscript is a work of French illumination: **originating in Rouen from the years 1500–1510, it presents itself as a fantastic work of the so-called Rouen school.
Famous Lovers in Grandiose Painting
86 miniatures of Petrarch’s Trionfi are illustrated on 590 pages. These are gorgeously framed by impressive architectural decorative frames and are supplemented by 1,800 golden initials. The scenes present depictions of the content, e.g. Petrarch, dreaming in a chariot before Amor, and again Amor, the god of love. Additionally, numerous ancient myths were taken up, e.g. the tales of Pyramus and Thisbe, Salome, or Bathsheba.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Petrarca: Triumphe
I Trionfi di Francesco Petrarca
Petrarch's Triumphs
Franciscus Petrarca Trionfi gallice cum explicationibus - Size / Format
- 597 folios / 32.5 × 21.0 cm
- Origin
- Rouen (France)
- Date
- Ca. 1500
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 84 large miniatures in frame and 1,800 golden initials
- Artist / School
- School of Rouen
- Previous Owners
- René II, Duke of Lorraine
Anthony II Duke of Lorraine
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Emperor Charles VI
Napoleon Bonaparte
4 available facsimile edition(s) of „Les Triomphes de Petrarque“
Trionfi (Les Triomphes de Petrarque)
- Publisher
- De Agostini/UTET – Rome/Turin, 2011
- Limited Edition
- 499 copies
- Binding
- Leather binding
- Commentary
-
1 volume by Christian B.M. Berlakovits and Bernardo Glicino
Language: Italian - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
I Trionfi di Petrarca
- Publisher
- Imago – Castel Guelfo, 2021
- Binding
- Leather binding
- Commentary
-
1 volume
Language: Italian - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
I Trionfi di Petrarca (Cod. 2581)
- Publisher
- Imago – Castel Guelfo, 2021
- Binding
- Leather binding
- Commentary
-
1 volume
Language: Italian - More Information
- Facsimile edition of the first book of Petrarch's Triumphs (Cod. 2581, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek). Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
I Trionfi di Petrarca (Cod. 2582)
- Publisher
- Imago – Castel Guelfo, 2021
- Binding
- Leather binding
- Commentary
-
1 volume
Language: Italian - More Information
- Facsimile edition of the second book of Petrarch's Triumphs (Cod. 2582, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek). Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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