Petrarca: Trionfi - Berlin Codex

Petrarca: Trionfi – Berlin Codex

Francesco Petrarca (1304–74) was an Italian poet and historian. He is considered to be a founder of Renaissance humanism and, along with Dante Alighieri and Boccaccio, one of the most important representatives of early Italian literature. The term Petrarchism comes from his names, which designated a widespread school of thought within European love poetry up to the 17th century. His works have influenced world literature over the centuries.
The triumphs celebrated by victorious Ancient Roman generals continued to be imitated during the Middle Ages, especially in Italy. Petrarch’s Triumphs, whose Italian name reads Trionfi, are a famous example of the poetry of Petrarch and the full title of this French translation of the work is Les six triumphes et les six visions Messire Francoys Petrarque. It is a fine work of the French Renaissance that is adorned with 18 watercolor miniatures.

An Allegorical Triumph

The Trionfi, one of the most popular poems worldwide, are a tale of the triumph of the good and the beautiful. Six triumphs that were sung about include, the triumph of love, of chastity, of fame, of time, the triumph of death over time, and the triumph of eternity. The central theme of the work would be familiar to a medieval audience: the journey of man from a state of sin to redemption. As such, it can be compared with allegorical works such as the Roman de la Rose or the Divina Commedia, with which it shares a similar voyage structure. The work has been praised for its lyrical achievements and the introspective look into the poet’s feelings that it offers to the reader.