Petrarchs letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Petrarchs letter - Essay Example Some people are only interested in the type and age of the rocks on such mountains, and the type of plant and animal life in such places. Yet some see these rocks and cliff edges as another challenge they need to conquer. But there are those who speak of beyond just knowledge and conquest. Such works by Petrarch have made him to be considered as the father of renaissance and one of the earliest humanists (Clarion Journey par 1-2). Being someone that toured Europe for fun, even earning the name â€Å"the First Tourist†, he set to climb Mount Ventoux. Going against every warning not to reach the peak of the mountain and armed with a novel by St. Augustine that is believed to have fallen open on the ground exposing certain parts that led to engage in deep reflection Petrarch went ahead with his excursion. The warnings he received and the words of St. Augustine’s novel opened his mind and led him to turn to his inner soul rather than the outer world as evidenced by his words â€Å"I was completely satisfied with what I had seen of the mountain and turned my inner eye toward myself. From this hour nobody heard me say a word until we arrived at the bottom.† (Hà ¶rnqvist par. 17). This moment of awareness as he went down Mount Ventoux is considered as the beginning of renaissance. Being the father of humanism and the father of renaissance, he was the first to link Christian philosophy with classic culture. He suggested that humans were given a variety of intellectual and creative potential that can be used as preferred. These humanist philosophical ideas gave rise to the renaissance. His journey on Mount Ventoux was more for luxury rather than a necessity. His journey to the mountain is what led him to write the letter to his friend and also his confessor Dionigi Di Borgo San Sepolcro. In the letter, he states that he had been inspired by the climbing of Mount Haemus by Philip V of Macedon as